


Accidentally in Love

by CaptainSwanLuver



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-24
Updated: 2015-07-21
Packaged: 2018-04-06 01:02:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 51,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4201977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainSwanLuver/pseuds/CaptainSwanLuver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma Swan needs to be married by 30 in order to receive the money from her trust fund and save her failing business.  Killian Jones is the thief who just tried to rob her store.  The two strike a deal: Killian will pretend to marry Emma and she won’t send him to jail.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I know the whole fake relationship thing is a popular one among the Captain Swan fanfiction community, but I just couldn’t resist putting my spin on it. I don’t do AU often, but I thought this would be a fun one. However, I wanted to keep a touch of the Captain Swan we all fell in love with, so every scene in the story will start with a quote from the show that has meaning to them and relates to what is occurring in the story. Hope you enjoy it! -Steph

…Accidentally in Love: Part 1/11...

 

~Pick a partner who knows what he’s doing.~

 

Emma Swan sighed heavily, as she threw the stack of bills down on the counter. She looked over at her best friend and business partner, Belle.

“If we don’t come up with some money soon, we’ll have no choice but to close.”

Belle was perpetually optimistic, but even she had to agree that the situation was dire. They had opened their bookstore café, ‘Once Upon a Time’, five years ago and had struggled to keep it open ever since. 

Belle shook her head. “I’ve already asked all of my friends and family for money. What about another loan?”

Emma groaned. “The loan officer at the bank doesn’t even take my calls anymore and he hides every time I go there.”

“There has to be something we can do.” Belle chewed on her lip worriedly. “What about your parents, Emma? They’re so wealthy and I know they would-…”

Emma held up a hand to halt her. “You know how I feel about asking my parents for money. I swore when I went out on my own and opened this business that I would never ask them for money. I wanted to do this on my own and not rely on the money my family has made from our oil business.”

Belle’s face fell, but then her eyes quickly lit up. “Wait. Aren’t you due to get the trust fund your grandmother set up for you when you turn 30?” 

Emma shrugged. “Yeah. So?”

Belle’s eyes widened. “So? You turn 30 in a month, Emma. We can use the money to save our business.”

Emma shook her head. “Apparently, you have forgotten the terms of the trust fund. I have to be married by 30 or the contents of the trust fund reverts to her beloved Chihuahua, Dot.” Emma rolled her eyes and held up her left hand, wiggling her naked ring finger. “And, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not married. I’m not engaged. I’m not even dating anyone.”

Belle groaned and then chuckled. “Too bad you can’t just pretend to be married to get the money from your trust fund.”

They both laughed, but their laughs slowly subsided as they exchanged a look.

Emma smiled. “Wait a minute. Why can’t I? I know it’s crazy, but it’s our only option.”

“Do you really think your parents would believe it?” 

Emma nodded. “I’ll them I’ve been dating a guy for a while, but that it’s long distance and I wanted to wait to tell them until I knew it was serious. I tell them he proposed, I accepted, and we’ll throw a quick fake wedding to really sell it. My parents might be a little suspicious at the timing of it, but they’ll just be happy that their commitment-phobic daughter is getting married. ”

Belle began to bounce with excitement. “You really think this could work?”

Emma smiled. “Definitely. I have a friend down at city hall that can even fake me a marriage license in case I need proof. After I receive the money from the trust fund, I’ll wait a few months, tell them the long distance thing isn’t working , that we rushed into marriage, and that I’m getting a divorce.”

Belle hugged Emma excitedly. “This could actually work!” But when they separated, Belle’s lips suddenly turned downward. “There’s only one problem. What kind of guy would be willing to pretend to be married to you?”

Just then, the bell sounded on the front door. Emma and Belle turned their attention to the door and to the man who walked in. Belle offered him a smile and greeting, but then turned away and headed toward the bookshelves. Emma, however, couldn’t tear her eyes away from the handsome stranger.

“Killian Jones,” he said, walking over to her and extending his hand.

Emma licked at her lips nervously, as she placed her hand in his. “Emma Swan.”

His smile, coupled with his accent, nearly caused her knees to give out. 

He gestured with his hand, his crystal blue eyes sparkling at her. “This is a nice place you have here. Quite cozy.”

Emma nodded. “Thank you. Can I, um, get you anything?”

Killian’s eyes scanned her beautiful features as he shook his head. “No, thank you. I just came to browse through the books.” He turned away and then back toward her, flashing a grin. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Emma Swan.”

He then headed toward the books, as Emma stared after him. 

Emma didn’t usually get nervous around men. Then again, she pretty much limited her contact with them to first dates and one night stands. She’d had her heart broken as a teenager so badly that she’d sworn off of relationships.

Killian moved among the stacks of used books. 

“Can I help you find anything?” Belle asked.

He offered her a smile. “No, thank you. Just browsing.”

“Let me know if I can be of any assistance.”

He nodded, as Belle walked back over to Emma. The two women watched him intently. Emma admired the way his dark hair was tousled just so and how he had just the right amount of scruff covering his chiseled jaw. She was positive his leather jacket and black jeans was concealing a well-toned body. She smiled, watching his tongue dart out and moisten his lips, as he perused the book titles. 

“Now, he would be someone to bring home to my parents,” Emma muttered.

Belle whipped her head in Emma’s direction. “You can’t be serious. You don’t even know him. He could be a psycho ax murderer. Are you really willing to risk your life for a trust fund?”

“Or he could be a completely harmless, drop-dead gorgeous, nice guy. Hey, if I’m going to get fake married, I might as well aim high.”

“And just what makes you think some total stranger would ever agree to pretend to be your husband?”

Emma sighed. “You have a point.”

Emma watched as Killian made his way to the door. He offered them a wave. Emma felt a rush of panic overtake her, as she realized she might never see him again. Before she knew what was happening, she felt herself moving to the door. She didn’t know what she planned on saying, she just knew she wanted to make sure she saw him again.

She thought quickly and dug in her pocket for a business card as she came to stand in front of him. “Uh, Killian, here’s our card. If you’re looking for anything in particular, just give us a call or email us and we’ll keep an eye out for it.”

He smiled and reached out to take the card from her, but it fluttered to the ground as he made contact. Emma apologized and they both made a move to bend down to pick it up, bumping heads in the process.

They both laughed, as they began to straighten and rub at their heads. 

“Sorry,” they said in unison, their eyes meeting and holding.

It was then that Killian realized the card was still on the floor. He reluctantly tore his eyes away from Emma and bent down to pick it up. However, as he did so, something fell out of his jacket pocket and landed by Emma’s foot. 

“Oh, you dropped this,” Emma said, quickly bending down to pick it up.

“That’s okay,” he said nervously, his hand darting out and covering hers.

Her eyes widened at what she held in her hands. It was a first edition of The Wizard of Oz that they had just gotten in last week. It was worth thousands. Emma and Belle had agreed long ago that they would never sell the books that they brought in online. They would simply offer them to their customers at reasonable prices. Considering its worth, this one was priced very reasonably at $300.

Emma realized Killian’s hand was still on hers. She tore it and the book away from him. 

Her brow furrowed and her jaw clenched in anger. “You stole this.”

He shook his head. “It’s a simple misunderstanding. That’s actually my-…”

Emma took a step back, as Belle came to stand by her side. “You came in here to steal from us.” She turned to Belle. “Call the police.”

Killian held up his hand. “Love, surely we can resolve this without involving the authorities.”

Emma’s eyes narrowed at him. “Don’t call me love. And give me one good reason why I shouldn’t call the cops?”

Killian grinned and Emma tried not to be affected by his heart-stopping smile and piercing blue eyes. “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation earlier as I browsed the stacks. I have excellent hearing and you lasses should really learn to use your indoor voices, especially in such a small space. It seems you’re in need of a fake husband and you seemed to be considering me.”

Belle scoffed at that. “Well, now she knows you’re a thief and quite possibly an ax murderer, so her interest has waned. Right, Emma?”

Emma nodded slowly. “Of course.”

Killian bobbed his head. “I see. So am I correct in assuming you would have no problem if I contacted your parents and told them of your plan to enter into a fraudulent marriage in order to secure your trust fund?”

Emma gritted her teeth together. “What do you want?”

“Don’t press charges and my lips are sealed.”

Emma nodded. “And what if I want something in return? After all, I could just take my chances and still send your sorry ass to jail.”

He cocked his head at her. “Maybe we’re going about this all wrong, Emma. Perhaps we need to strike a mutually beneficial deal instead. I want my freedom and you want your trust fund. You seemed to be quite keen on my being your bogus husband mere minutes ago. I see no reason why I still can’t assist you.”

Belle laughed heartily. “You’re mad. Emma would never agree to that.”

“Deal,” Emma said, sticking her hand out at him.

Belle’s eyes widened. “Emma!”

Emma shrugged. “He’s a thief, Belle, which means he lies for a living. I can’t think of anyone better suited for the position. Can you?”

Killian grinned, as he slipped his hand into hers and shook it. “I think this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful partnership.”

Emma ignored the sparks that flew up her arm from his touch or how her hand seemed to fit perfectly in his. She hesitantly released him.

“Be here tomorrow at 9 am. Don’t be late.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said, as he flashed her one last grin and then disappeared out the door.

Emma watched him go, then flinched when Belle swatted her arm.

“You must be mad. What makes you think you’ll ever see him again? You don’t even know where he lives. You have no way of contacting him. You don’t even know if Killian Jones is his real name. You already gave him his freedom, Emma. He has no reason to show up tomorrow.”

Emma smiled and nodded, saying softly, “He’ll show up.”

Belle sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. “For your sake, I hope you’re right.”

…

~I’d love to know more about your beginnings.~

 

Emma rolled her eyes at her best friend. “Belle, just go. I’ll be fine.”

“Emma, I am not leaving you alone with a thief. There’s no telling what else he’s capable of.”

“Okay, first of all, I am not alone. There are customers here and Ruby is working the counter. Second of all, I am a big girl and I am more than capable of taking care of myself. Just go to your appointment.”

Belle chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. “Fine, but the first sign of any trouble, scream and call 911.”

Emma gave her a thumbs up. “Will do.”

Just then, Killian walked in the door. Belle walked past without greeting him, but leveled him with a glare as she exited the store. 

“I don’t think she cares for me much,” Killian said, as he took a seat across from Emma.

“That makes two of us,” Emma replied, although she couldn’t help but notice how her heart sped up at the mere sight of him.

“But you don’t even know me, Emma. I’m actually quite likable once you give me a chance.”

“I know you’re a thief and a liar. That’s all I need to know.”

Killian reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He handed it to her. 

“What’s this? A hold-up note?” 

Killian chuckled and wagged his finger at her. “You’re witty, I like that.” He paused and shook his head. “No, it’s an information sheet about myself. If we’re going to pull off this whole marriage ruse, then we have to know things about each other.”

Emma didn’t even unfold the paper. She simply tore it into pieces and then dropped it onto the table in front of him. His eyes widened in shock.

“Why in bloody hell did you do that?” 

“I don’t need to know who Killian Jones is, if that’s even your real name.”

“It is,” he replied, his tone sharp.

“You are who I say you are.”

“Love, I can certainly understand changing my profession and my background. I hardly think a thief would go over well with your parents. But knowing someone means knowing the little things about them, like their favorite color, or food, or movie, or book.”

She offered him a closed-mouth smile. “I already know that’s The Wizard of Oz.”

He ignored her. “My point is that I don’t see any reason to change little details about myself.”

Emma pulled out her own piece of paper and handed it to him. “Well, you don’t get to decide. This is the Killian Jones that will be presented to my parents. My family is very wealthy and they expect that I would choose a spouse who has good breeding and is cultured.”

Killian scanned the sheet, as he read it aloud. “I am originally from London, England. My parents are a part of the Queen’s staff. I am an only child. I attended Oxford. After university, I moved to New York City. I am currently a stockbroker on Wall Street.” He sighed. “I know nothing about being a stockbroker, love.”

Emma almost corrected the ‘love’, but had to admit she kind of liked it.

“It’s called research. Google it.”

He continued reading. “Favorite color is blue. Favorite food is lamb.” He curled his lips down in disgust. “Favorite movie is The King’s Speech. Favorite band is The Beatles. Favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Killian smiled at the last one. “Despite what you may believe, that is actually my favorite book.

Emma raised her eyebrows. “Really? It’s mine too. Since I was a kid. I figured it could be one of the things we have in common.”

He nodded his head, his eyes focused on hers. “Well, at least there’s one thing on here I don’t have to pretend to be fond of.” He folded the paper and placed it in his pocket. “I’ll commit the rest to memory tonight. Now, what about you? Tell me all there is to know about Emma Swan.”

Emma handed him another paper. He read it aloud. “You were born in Storybrooke, Maine to David and Mary Margaret Nolan. Only child. Your family gained their wealth through their oil business. You attended business school and received a degree in restaurant and hotel management. You opened your business 5 years ago with your best friend, Belle French.”

He nodded, as he went on. “Favorite color is red. Favorite food is grilled cheese. Favorite movie is Steel Magnolias. Favorite band is Guns ‘N Roses. Favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird.”

He placed the paper inside his pocket. “Seems I have a great deal of homework to do tonight.”

Emma pulled out yet another paper and Killian audibly groaned. “This one is about our relationship and it’s the most important one. My parents are going to be full of questions and even one mistake could blow this whole thing.”

Killian sighed heavily as he read the paper. “We met six months ago. You were in Manhattan visiting a bookseller. We reached for the same copy of To Kill a Mockingbird.” Killian met her eyes and smiled. “Well, isn’t that romantic?”

Emma dropped her eyes. “I figured since I was going to make us have that in common, I might as well incorporate it into how we met.”

He went on. “I asked you out for drinks that night and we hit it off. We began a long distance relationship, with you visiting me on weekends. We love Broadway musicals and nighttime strolls through Central Park. I proposed almost a week ago. We were taking a ride in a horse drawn carriage last Friday night when I presented you with a dozen red roses and asked you to be my wife.” He paused, lifting his eyes to hers. “I’m assuming you accepted.”

Emma nodded with a grin. “How could I refuse?”

Killian gestured to her hand. “Love, I’m not an expert on these things, but aren’t most proposals supposed to come with an engagement ring?”

Emma looked down at her bare ring finger. “Oh yeah, I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll just buy some cheap, fake ring.”

He nodded and then gestured to the sheet. “Where’s the rest of it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, none of your information sheets gave any information on our romantic histories prior to meeting.”

Emma dropped her eyes. “I don’t see how that would be relevant.”

“I think it’s quite common for an engaged couple to share their past relationships with each other. What if it comes up in conversation?”

“It won’t,” she said through gritted teeth. 

His eyebrows raised in curiosity. “Emma, what aren’t you telling me?”

“Just drop it, Killian.”

She abruptly stood up and made a move to walk past him, but his hand darted out and gently encircled her elbow. She slowly met his gaze as he spoke. 

“Please, tell me.”

Emma sighed heavily but sat back down. “Fine, but only because I guess it is possible that it could come up.” She took a deep breath. “Look, I know my life sounds like it’s been perfect, but it hasn’t. When I was 17, I met a boy at school. He was funny and kind and cute. I fell in love with him. I was sure my parents wouldn’t approve because he was being raised by a single father. His mother had abandoned them when he was just a kid. Neal’s father worked two jobs to make ends meet. So I didn’t tell my parents about us, but they eventually found out anyway. And, to my surprise, they weren’t upset. They told me they just wanted me to be happy.”

Killian’s brow furrowed. “You just told me your parents expect you to choose a spouse with good breeding who is cultured.”

“Let me finish,” she snapped. She took another deep breath. “My parents accepted Neal because my father came from a similar background. My mother’s family was the wealthy one and my father’s was poor. When they met, her parents tried to keep them apart, but they wouldn’t let anyone stop them from being together. They didn’t want to do the same thing to me and Neal. So we continued to date with their blessing. My parents really liked Neal. But then everything fell apart.”

“What happened?”

Her voice lowered, as she slowly began. “I was at the beginning of my senior year when I found out I was pregnant. I was so scared that I didn’t tell my parents or Neal until I couldn’t hide it anymore. A pregnant teenage daughter would be a black eye on our family name and my parents couldn’t have that. So they decided to send me away to a convent to have my baby. They planned to tell everyone I went to boarding school. I didn’t want to leave Neal and I didn’t want to give up my baby. I went to his house to tell him what my parents’ plan was and to ask him to run away with me. But I overheard him talking to one of his friends on the phone before I could ask him. He said that he had only dated me because I was rich and now his whole life was screwed up because I was pregnant. He said he never loved me. I was devastated. I went home and told my parents what he said. I told them I would do whatever they wanted. So the following week my parents sent me away. I had a son and he was immediately taken away from me and given up for adoption.”

Killian was at a loss for words. He reached across the table and placed his hand over hers. At first, she flinched from the unexpected touch, but then her hand relaxed beneath his. She furiously blinked back tears as she met his gaze.

“Emma, I am so sorry.”

“It was a long time ago,” she said, roughly wiping at the corner of her eye with her thumb. “But after that my parents became very protective of me. I swore off relationships. And they swore that if a man ever did manage to capture my heart again, then he would have to come from a wealthy, respected family. They wanted to ensure that no man would ever use me for my family’s money again.”

Killian chuckled and shook his head. “I suppose they wouldn’t approve of me at all then.”

“Well, actually, I don’t know anything about your family.”

Killian pushed the torn up pieces of paper toward her. “It’s all right there. I told the whole truth. Maybe you can tape it back together in your spare time to find out everything you could ever want to know about Killian Jones.”

Emma fingered the pieces of paper, suddenly regretful that she had torn up the paper. It certainly couldn’t hurt to learn about the man she was going to pretend to be married to.

She shook free of her thoughts and met his eyes. “Okay, so my parents have invited us to dinner tomorrow night at 7. Meet me here at 6:30. I’m going to introduce you to them and then tell them we’re engaged after dinner.” She paused and then waved her finger at him. “Oh and dress appropriately.”

Killian glanced down at his leather jacket, jeans, button down shirt, and leather vest.

“What’s wrong with my attire?”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re supposed to look like a stockbroker.”

He offered her a lopsided grin. “So what exactly does one wear to look dull? I wouldn’t know.”

Emma had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. “A suit.”

“I don’t own a suit.”

“Then buy one.”

Killian held his hand out to her, palm up. She looked at it in confusion.

“What?” she asked.

“If you’re going to require me to dress a particular way, then I am going to require money for new garments.”

Emma laughed. “I’m not giving you any money.”

“Fine, then I will give you the receipts and you can reimburse me.”

“Not going to happen.”

Killian shrugged and began to stand. “Then I shall attend dinner at your parents wearing clothing very similar in nature to this. I am sure I’ll make a grand first impression and won’t arouse any suspicion. You can just tell them it was casual Friday on Wall Street.”

Emma groaned and placed her hands over her face. “Fine. We’ll get you some new clothes.”

Killian held his palm out again, but she swatted it away. “Meet me here at noon and we’ll go shopping.”

Killian smiled. “I can hardly wait.”

He then turned on his heel and left. Emma dropped her head onto the table. What had she gotten herself into?

…  
End of Part 1  
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought! ~Steph


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Thanks for your responses to the first part and for reading. In this part, I chose to have Killian wear the suit that Colin wore to the IFTA awards a few weeks ago. If you missed it, then you can Google it for your viewing pleasure and to help you picture it in the story. Hope you enjoy this part! -Steph!

…Accidentally in Love: Part 2/12...

 

~ Don’t think I’m taking my eyes off you for a minute.~

Emma tapped her fingernail in annoyance against the table, as she glanced at her watch for the umpteenth time. He was 20 minutes late.

Just then, the door swung open and Killian strolled in.

“You’re late,” she said by way of greeting him.

“Good afternoon to you, too, Emma.”

“I said 1 o’clock, Killian.”

He shrugged. “My apologies. I had some things to do.”

Emma scoffed at that. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize thieves had such busy schedules. I hope I didn’t pull you away from any pressing matters.”

He offered her a close-mouthed smile. “I’m here now. Shall we go? I saw a great suit shop a few blocks down the street.”

Emma shook her head. “We’re not going to one of those places. They’re way too expensive. We’re going to Goodwill.”

Killian’s lips curled down in distaste. “I’m sorry, love, but I’m afraid I don’t wear second-hand clothing.”

“You do now,” she said with a smile, as she shoved him toward the door.

Killian sighed heavily as they exited the store and walked a few blocks to Goodwill.

Emma started inside, but he stood rooted to his spot. “Love, I don’t believe that a stockbroker from Wall Street would buy his clothes at Goodwill.”

“No one will know where we got them.”

“I doubt you’ll find anything suitable in there.”

Emma grabbed him by the elbow and proceeded to drag him inside. “I guess we’re about to find out.”

Emma surveyed the room and found a rack with suits. Killian reluctantly followed her. She began searching through the garments. She had to admit the pickings were slim. She laughed at a brown plaid polyester suit.

“You’d look great in this,” she said, as she held it up to him with a laugh.

Her eyes scanned his body for a long moment, as he took a step closer to her. She was pretty sure he could wear a potato sack and still look gorgeous. 

She shook her head free of those thoughts and put the suit back on the rack. Killian began to help her search through the rack. Their hands suddenly landed on the same suit, their fingers ending up entwined. Emma blushed, as he met her eyes. 

Killian swallowed hard at the wave of electricity that shot up his arm. He’d felt it before when they’d touched but tried to ignore it. He knew it would be easy to fall for Emma Swan. She was smart and beautiful and tough. He also knew she was way out of his league. He was a thief and she was an heiress. She would never fall for a guy like him.

Emma finally tore her hand away and sheepishly muttered, “Sorry.”

Killian pulled the suit off the rack. It was a three piece blue suit with a white oxford shirt, black tie, and a unique feature: a gold chain held the jacket closed instead of buttons.

“I like this one,” he said.

“Me too,” Emma agreed.

Killian offered her a grin. “Look at that, we agree on something.”

Emma fought back a smile and gestured to the dressing room. “Go try it on so we can see if it fits.”

Killian disappeared into the dressing room and emerged a few minutes later. Emma’s mouth fell open at the sight of him. She was certain she had never seen another man look as good in a suit before. 

“Well?” he asked, as he spun around.

Emma shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. “Not bad. Could work.”

Killian walked over to her, nearly closing the distance between them. She inhaled his scent, an intoxicating mixture of evergreen, mint and something all his own. His eyes roamed over her face. 

“I think the look on your lovely face when I emerged said a lot more than ‘not bad’.” 

Emma inhaled deeply, as she took a step back and rolled her eyes. “You know you look good. You seem to have a healthy ego. I don’t feel the need to stroke it.”

Killian’s eyebrows darted upward and he smiled. “That’s okay. The look on your face said it all.”

Emma swallowed hard. “Okay, let’s just get that suit. Maybe a couple more for any other times you’ll be with my parents. We need to get you a nice pair of shoes too. Hurry up and get out of those clothes.”

His lips slipped into a devilish smile. “Your wish is my command, milady.”

He began to unbutton his vest, as Emma’s eyes widened. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him toward the dressing room. 

“You know what I meant!” she scolded. 

Killian laughed, as he set about getting changed. He had to admit he enjoyed pushing her buttons.

…

~I don’t mean to upset you, Emma, but I think we make quite the team.~

 

Killian arrived at the store at 6:30 p.m on the dot. He took one step inside and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Emma.

She was wearing a red dress that hugged every curve on her body. Her blonde locks were curled into waves that flowed past her shoulders. 

Emma noticed him staring at her and began to blush. 

“What?” she asked.

He smiled at her. “You look stunning, Emma.”

Emma’s lips curled upward. “Thank you.” Her eyes swept over him appreciatively. “You clean up pretty well.”

He chuckled. “Thank you.”

They stood in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, until Emma cleared her throat. “Let’s set a few ground rules. First, stick to the information I have given you. If something comes up that you don’t know, then follow my lead. Second, no displays of affection.”

Killian frowned in disappointment. He figured one of the perks of being Emma Swan’s faux fiancé would be getting to touch her. 

“Love, I do believe engaged couples show affection towards one another. Don’t you think a lack of affection could arouse suspicion in your parents?”

Emma shook her head. “No, my parents know I’m not comfortable with public displays of affection.”

Killian shrugged. “Fine.” He held out his hand to her. “Shall we go?”

Emma stared at his hand, thinking how she really wanted to slip hers into it. 

She resisted the urge. “Nice try. No touching, remember?”

Killian dropped his hand. “As you wish.”

They walked to Emma’s car and drove in silence. Emma pulled into the driveway of a mansion 15 minutes later. Killian’s eyes widened at the grand home.

“You grew up here?”

She nodded, as they exited the car. “Yeah, but it never really felt like home. I always felt like I didn’t belong for some reason.”

Killian shrugged as they approached the door. “I think I could grow accustomed to it.”

Emma rang the bell and, a moment later, the door swung open. A woman about 60 answered the door.

“Hi, Greta,” Emma said. “This is Killian.”

Greta smiled as Killian extended his hand to her. “Pleasure,” he greeted her.

Greta couldn’t stop staring at him and had yet to release his hand. Emma rolled her eyes and pried Killian’s hand from hers. 

“Emma, you’re here!” They suddenly heard coming from their right.

They both turned their attention to where the voice had come from. A man and woman stood in the doorway to the large dining room. They were in their late 50’s. The woman had fair skin and short dark hair. Her eyes were warm and her smile was welcoming. The man had brown hair with flecks of gray and light eyes on a kind face.

They both rushed forward, enveloping Emma in a hug that nearly knocked her over. Killian had to move aside so as not to be knocked over himself. 

When they parted, they turned their attention to Killian.

“You must be Killian,” Mary Margaret said, shaking his hand.

“Please to meet you,” he greeted her.

David shook his hand next. “Our daughter has told us nothing about you.”

Emma groaned. “Dad! Don’t start.”

“Your father is right, Emma. You’ve been dating for - what…?”

“Six months,” Killian supplied a little too eagerly, like a student who is overly excited to know the answer to a question. 

Emma threw him a look.

“Six months is a long time to keep a boyfriend a secret,” David said.

“I already told you it was a long distance relationship and I wanted to see if it was serious first. You know I don’t do relationships, so this is all new to me.”

“Then I guess it is serious,” Mary Margaret said with a smile.

Emma met Killian’s eyes and smiled. “Yes, it is.”

Emma had found a cheap, fake ring at a pawn store to pass off as her engagement ring, but it was in her purse. She wanted to wait until after dinner to announce her phony engagement.

Emma cleared her throat. “Should we head into the dining room for dinner?”

David nodded. “Yes, we are ready to begin.”

Mary Margaret sat at one end of the long table and David at the other. Emma sat down first and gestured with her head for Killian to sit across from her, but he took a seat right beside her. The opposite side of the table was left empty.

The Nolan’s staff served a shrimp cocktail first. 

“So, Killian, how did you and Emma meet?” Mary Margaret asked. 

Killian wiped at his mouth before beginning. “Well, we were at a bookstore in Manhattan and we both reached for a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird.”

“That’s Emma’s favorite,” David said.

“Mine as well.” He met Emma’s eyes. “I asked her out for drinks and the rest is history.”

Killian scooted closer to Emma and put his arm around her shoulders. She threw him a glare, silently reminding him of their no physical displays of affection rule, but he ignored her. She wiggled in his embrace for a moment, before realizing she liked him so close and that her parents would grow suspicious if she pushed him away. Instead, she relaxed and leaned into his touch.

He looked down at her, surprised, and smiled. 

“You work and live in Manhattan?” Mary Margaret said.

“Aye, that I do.”

“What do you do for a living?” David asked.

“I’m a stockbroker,” Killian said, praying they didn’t ask him to elaborate.

“I’ve always found that job to be fascinating. What would you say is the most challenging aspect of your job?” he asked.

Killian swallowed hard. He had done his research as Emma had instructed, but it had consisted solely of watching the movie the Wolf of Wall Street and he’d fallen asleep during it. 

Emma stared at him, biting her lower lip nervously. 

“Um, I’d say the, uh, pump and dump strategy is very challenging.”

Mary Margaret’s brow furrowed. “I think I’ve heard of that. Isn’t that when you drive up the price of a stock through false statements in order to sell the cheaply purchased product at a higher price?”

Killian slowly nodded. He had no idea what it meant. It was the only thing he could remember from the movie that didn’t involve drugs or sex. 

“Uh, yes, that’s right,” he replied.

David’s eyes widened. “But that’s stock fraud. It’s illegal.”

Killian’s mouth dropped open, followed by Emma’s. She quickly recovered though and laughed nervously, as she playfully swatted his arm.

“Oh, Killian, you’re such a kidder! Isn’t he funny?”

Mary Margaret and David stared at them for a long moment, then slowly joined them in their laughter. Killian breathed a sigh of relief as he exchanged a grateful look with Emma.

“I thought you were serious for a moment,” David said.

Mary Margaret shook her head with a smile. “Can you imagine? Our Emma falling in love with a criminal!”

They all laughed, except for Killian. He looked at Emma and for the first time he realized exactly how out of his league she really was. They came from two different worlds and he knew that her parents would never accept the real him. 

He shook free of his thoughts, as the entrée was served next. Killian’s lips curled downward in disgust as his plate was placed in front of him. A rare piece of lamb was the object of his revulsion. 

Killian tried to discreetly whisper to Emma. “I can’t eat that.”

“Why not?” she asked through gritted teeth.

“I’m a vegetarian.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

He gave her a pointed look. “It was in the information I gave you about myself, which you destroyed without so much as looking at.”

“You could have said something when I told you that your favorite food was lamb!”

“I’m not eating it.”

“You have to!”

“I can’t. I won’t.”

“Is something wrong with the lamb?” Mary Margaret asked, as she noticed their frenzied whispering back and forth.

He began to speak, but Emma shook her head. “No, it looks great, Mom.”

“Is it cooked to your liking, Killian? Emma said lamb was your favorite, so I asked the kitchen staff to prepare it especially for you.”

Killian forced a smile. “That was very considerate of you.”

“My wife is a very thoughtful woman. I’m sure you’ll love the lamb.”

Emma nodded. “I’m sure he will.” She paused and eyed him. “Isn’t that right, Killian?”

He slowly bobbed his head. “Uh, yes, it looks delicious.”

Killian slowly began to cut the meat and sliced off the smallest piece he could. He tried not to gag as he brought it up to his mouth and placed it on his tongue.

He managed to discreetly store it in his cheek and pretended to swallow. “That is just di…delectable. Compliments to the chef.” He paused and then asked. “I must excuse myself for a moment though. Emma, could you show me where the loo is?”

Emma stared at him. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Just fine, love.”

“Excuse us,” she said, as they exited the dining room. She rounded the corner and shoved him into the bathroom.

He immediately went to the trash can and spit the meat out. Emma’s eyes widened.

“You didn’t eat it?!”

“I think I was rather clear when I told you I couldn’t.”

Killian went to the sink and placed his mouth under the faucet. He shoveled the water into his mouth, in a desperate attempt to rid himself of the taste of the lamb. He used the palm of his hand to brush at his tongue.

“You’re being ridiculous.”

He turned to face her. “What’s so ridiculous about being a vegetarian?”

Emma crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, let’s start with the fact that you always wear leather. So…what? You support killing animals for fashion, just not food?”

He shrugged. “Fine, so I’m not a vegetarian for any moral reason. I just loathe the way meat tastes, especially lamb.” He paused and then added. “You know, this all could have been avoided if you read the information I gave you about myself.”

“No, this could have been avoided if you had mentioned you were a vegetarian when I said your favorite food was lamb!”

“Well, that ship has sailed, love. What do you suppose we do now?”

“What do you mean? You need to eat it. My mother will be insulted if you don’t.”

“I can’t eat it. I will literally vomit all over the dining room table. Would you prefer that?”

Just then, they were startled by a knock on the door.

“Killian, are you okay?” Mary Margaret asked. “Is Emma in there with you? I think I heard her voice.”

Killian and Emma exchanged a surprised look. Emma shook her head in annoyance. “Yes, I am, Mom. It seems Killian has caught a bit of a bug.”

“Oh no, that’s awful.”

Emma looked at Killian and pointed at the toilet. His eyes narrowed at her in confusion and she rolled her eyes. She gestured to his mouth and pointed to the toilet again. He simply stared at her.

“Pretend you’re vomiting!” she whispered in frustration.

“What? Absolutely not! That will make a terrible first impression on your mother.”

She clenched her jaw. “It’s either that or you eat the lamb!”

Killian immediately began to make vomiting sounds. 

“Emma, let me in. I can help. You used to vomit all the time as a child.”

“No! He’s very embarrassed by this.”

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. The poor thing is ill.”

“He’ll be fine. Just give us a minute,” Emma said.

“Okay,” she replied and walked away. 

Killian stopped making vomiting sounds. Emma walked over to the sink, turned the faucet on, and ran her fingertips under it. Then she flicked them at his face. He blinked in surprise and flinched away from her. 

“What in bloody hell was that for?”

“You need to look sweaty. You’re sick and you just threw up.”

He groaned as he wiped at his brow. “Well, I suppose we have to leave now.”

“Not before announcing our fake engagement.”

“Now? Won’t that seem like poor timing?”

“I don’t care. I have a month to get married. I can’t afford to wait.”

He shrugged. “Fine.”

Emma opened the door and he followed her back to the dining room.

David eyed him, as did Mary Margaret. “Are you alright, Killian? Mary Margaret said you are ill.”

“I’ll be fine. Just a touch of a bug. I can’t stomach eating anything now though. I feel terribly to have to cut our dinner short. The lamb was so…delicious and you went to all of this trouble to have it made just for me. My apologies.”

Mary Margaret shook her head. “Don’t be silly. You can’t control falling ill. I will have the staff wrap up some for you to take home and eat when you are feeling better.”

He forced a smile. “That would be lovely.”

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment, until Emma broke it, speaking quickly. She figured it was like taking off a band-aid. Less painful the faster you did it. 

“So, Mom, Dad, this isn’t how I wanted to do this, but, well, I wanted to tell you that Killian and I are engaged.” 

Emma then dug through her purse, placed the ring on her finger, and held up her hand. Her parents stared at her in shock.

“You’re what?” David asked.

“Engaged?” Mary Margaret said, shaking her head. “But you’ve only been dating six months.”

Killian looked over at Emma. She seemed frozen. He quickly put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. Unlike earlier, she didn’t put up any struggle and immediately relaxed in his embrace.

His eyes met hers as he began. “Mr. and Mrs. Nolan, I know this must seem very rushed to you, but for me it seems like the end of a long wait. You see, I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for your daughter. And when I met her I just knew. I knew she was the woman I was meant to spend the rest of my life with. Your daughter is the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. She’s smart and independent and funny and strong…and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to make her happy.”

Emma stared at him in disbelief. She had no idea he’d be this good of an actor.

Mary Margaret jumped out of her seat and embraced them both. “This is the most wonderful news! I thought this day would never come!”

David walked over and pried Mary Margaret off of them. He extended his hand to Killian. “I know we’ve just met, but I consider myself an excellent judge of character. You seem like a good man and I know you’ll take care of my daughter.”

Mary Margaret nodded. “I just realized you’re about to become a part of our family and we know nothing about yours.”

Emma looked at him. He licked his lips nervously. “Well, I am originally from London. My parents work for the Queen. I am an only child. I attended Oxford.”

“The Queen!” Mary Margaret said, bouncing with excitement.

“We must arrange to meet your parents before the wedding,” David said.

Emma chewed on her lips. “About the wedding. It’s, um, going to be soon.”

Mary Margaret arched her brow. “How soon?”

“Three weeks,” she replied.

“Three weeks?!” her mother said. “What’s the hurry?” Her face paled. “Oh, Emma, you’re not…you know.”

Emma shook her head, her mind flashing back to that moment thirteen years earlier when she’d had to tell her parents she was pregnant. She felt Killian’s eyes on her and he squeezed her arm comfortingly.

He cleared his throat. “No, she is not. We just don’t see any reason to wait. We want to start our lives together as soon as possible.”

“But there’s so much to do,” David said.

Mary Margaret nodded. “Yes, we need to have a shower, choose a venue, pick food, get a cake, pick flowers, get a dress.” She shook her head sharply. “It simply cannot be done in three weeks.”

Emma reached out and took her mother’s hand. “We’ll get it all done. I just want something simple and low-key anyway.” She paused and met his eyes. “The only thing that matters to me is marrying this amazing man.”

Killian lowered his lips and kissed her temple. She tried not to sigh at the feel of his warm lips against her skin.

He smiled. “I just can’t wait to marry this incredible woman. Haven’t I been saying that since we got engaged, honeybunch?”

Honeybunch? Emma’s eyes widened and she offered him an icy glare at his use of the word. He grinned down at her and she knew he had only said it to get under her skin. They were going to have a serious talk about the use of terms of endearment on the way home.

“Aw,” Mary Margaret said. “You two are so sweet. Okay, well, we will figure it all out, but we will have to start immediately.”

Emma nodded. “Okay, Mom, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. I need to get Killian home so he can get some rest.”

“Of course. I hope you feel better soon, Killian. It was a pleasure meeting you.” Mary Margaret paused. “Oh the lamb!”

Killian shook his head and waved his hand in dismissal. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Nonsense. It’s your favorite. Greta!” she called. “Please bring Killian some lamb to take home.”

A few moments later, Greta arrived with the lamb and handed it to him. He forced a smile. “Thank you.”

Mary Margaret and David walked them to the door. David patted Killian on the back. “Welcome to the family, Killian.”

They said their goodbyes and then Emma and Killian headed to the car. Once inside, they breathed a sigh of relief.

“We did it,” Killian said with a grin.

“Yes, we did.” She paused and then added. “Thanks for the save back there. I froze.”

“Of course. I think we make quite the team.”

Emma’s voice lowered. “You’re quite the actor. Making all that stuff up about us and me to help my parents accept why we were getting engaged so quickly.”

Killian bobbed his head slowly. “Aye, I’m a natural improviser. Being a thief has made me rather good at thinking quickly on my feet.”

Emma nodded. “Oh, but don’t think I didn’t notice the displays of affection.”

He smiled. “They felt necessary in the moment. You didn’t seem to mind.”

Emma dropped her eyes, as she started the car. “Just don’t let it happen again.”

He offered her a wide grin. “I don’t think I can make that promise, love.”

Emma hid her smile at the thought and then looked over at him. 

“Oh and honeybunch? Seriously?”

He smirked. “Would you prefer snookums? Cupcake? How about buttercup?”

Emma bit her lip to keep from laughing and turned her attention to the road. “There is now an official ban on all terms of endearment.”

“Even love?” he asked softly, his eyes sweeping across her face.

Emma swallowed hard. “I suppose I can make an exception for that one.” She paused and added, “Provided it’s only used in the presence of those we are trying to fool, of course.”

Killian shook his head. “Sorry, love, that’s another promise I just can’t make.”

Emma didn’t reply, but she was silently happy about that.  
…  
End of Part 2  
Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you thought! ~Steph


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Thanks for your responses to the last part and for reading. Hope you enjoy this part! -Steph

…Accidentally in Love: Part 3/12...

 

~Try something new, darling. It’s called trust.~

 

Emma walked into the bookstore and was almost immediately attacked by Belle.

“How did it go? Tell me everything.”

“Good morning to you, too,” she said, handing her a cup of coffee and then sipping her own.

“Good morning. Now tell me everything.”

They sat down at a table.

“Well, things didn’t go quite as planned. Turns out, Killian is a vegetarian, which he failed to mention when I made fake Killian’s favorite food lamb. So my mother had the kitchen staff prepare lamb.”

“Oh no.”

“He refused to eat it, so we had to pretend he was sick with a bug.”

“What about the engagement announcement? Did your parents believe it?”

“Yes, but they were concerned it was all happening too quickly.”

“Did you alleviate their concerns?”

Emma shook her head. “No, actually, Killian did.”

“He did? How?”

Emma lowered her gaze, as a blush crept into her cheeks. “He gave this whole speech about how he had been waiting for me all of his life and how amazing I am.”

Belle eyed her best friend and then shook her head. “Oh my God.”

“What?” Emma asked.

“He’s getting to you.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. He was just acting. I didn’t take anything he said seriously.”

“I’ve seen the way you look at him. And the way he looks at you.”

“Maybe you should get your eyes checked then,” Emma said, abruptly standing and walking to the counter. “I need to call my mother. We have to get started on the wedding preparations right away.”

Emma dialed her parents’ number and her mother answered on the second ring. Emma could immediately tell something was wrong by the sound of her voice.

“Mom? Are you okay?”

“We’ve just had a bit of excitement here today, that’s all. Greta discovered that the Faberge egg we bought at auction last year is missing.”

“The one in the foyer?”

“Yes, that one. It’s worth a fortune and she swears it was there yesterday afternoon when she was dusting.”

Emma bit at her bottom lip nervously. “Mom, I have to go.”

“You’re coming over later, right? We need to discuss the wedding.”

“Yes, I’ll be over soon.”

“Make sure you bring, Killian. It’s his wedding, too.”

Emma hung up without replying or saying goodbye.

“What’s wrong?” Belle asked, jumping up from her seat.

“I’ll be back soon,” Emma said, heading to the door.

“Emma, what happened?” Belle called after her, as Emma exited the store.

Emma got into her car and did a quick Google search on her phone. Within seconds, she had the information she wanted. 

Ten minutes later, she pulled up in front of an old apartment building in the worst part of Storybrooke. The building didn’t have any security so she was able to walk right in, find his name on the directory, and walk up to his apartment on the third floor.

The building was in terrible disrepair. The paint was peeling off the walls on the dimly lit, dingy hallway. A multitude of buckets were strategically placed to catch various leaks. She didn’t know why she was surprised he lived in a place like this, but she was. For a moment, she actually felt sorry for him. Emma quickly found apartment 4 and knocked. 

A moment later, the door swung open. Killian’s eyebrows raised in surprise at the sight of her. 

“Emma? What are you doing here?”

She pushed past him into his drab apartment. It was essentially one room with a tiny bed, a couch against the lone window, and a small kitchen in the corner. Something that barely qualified as a bathroom was just off the kitchen.

“Where is it?” she asked, her eyes darting around the room. 

“Where is what?” he said, clearly confused.

Emma placed her hands on her hips. “Don’t play dumb, Killian. It doesn’t suit you.”

“I haven’t a bloody clue what you’re talking about.”

“The egg!” she shouted.

Confusion remained etched into his features. “What egg?”

Her jaw tightened. “The Faberge egg you stole from my parents last night.”

Emma saw the hurt flash across his face, but tried to ignore it. “You think I stole from your parents?”

Emma shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I? The first time we met you stole from me. That’s how this whole thing started, in case you’ve forgotten.”

Killian dropped his voice. “I didn’t know you then, Emma.”

“And that makes it okay?”

“Of course not,” he replied sharply. “Look, I didn’t steal from your parents.”

Emma took a step closer to him and looked him right in the eyes. “Why should I believe you?”

Killian made a move toward her, coming so close he could smell her perfume. He held her gaze, his voice emerging just above a whisper. “If we have a prayer of this working, then you’re going to have to start trusting me, Emma.”

“Trust is earned,” she replied weakly, his closeness distracting her. 

“And how exactly does a man earn your trust, love?”

She shrugged. “I’ll let you know when it happens.” 

It had happened once and she would make damn sure it never happened again.

She paused and then added. “If I find out you stole that egg, then I’ll make sure you go to prison this time. No deals.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, then Emma swallowed hard and took a step back. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“To my parents. We have to plan the wedding.”

“I don’t see why that must involve me. Do as you please.”

Emma sighed heavily. “My mother requested your presence.”

Killian smiled. “I think she’s rather fond of me.”

Emma rolled her eyes, as they headed out.

 

Fifteen minutes later, Mary Margaret greeted them at the door. “What a morning!”

“Did you report the theft to the police?”

She waved her hand. “I was just about to when Fiona - she’s new to the housekeeping staff - said she had simply moved the egg to the library because she was afraid it would get broken in the foyer.”

Emma felt Killian staring at her, but refused to look at him. 

“That’s great news.”

“It is. I was worried we had a thief in our midst.”

Killian lowered his gaze to the floor.

“Follow me into the sitting room. I’ve got tea and cookies for you,” she said.

Emma and Killian sat on the loveseat and Mary Margaret sat in an armchair across from them, as one of the staff served them tea.

Mary Margaret began. “You know, it occurred to me after you left last night that you never told us how you got engaged. Please, tell me everything.”

Emma discreetly sighed. “We took a ride in a horse drawn carriage last Friday night. Killian presented me with a dozen red roses and asked me to be his wife.” 

Mary Margaret smiled widely. “Oh that’s so romantic! You got a good one, Emma!”

Emma glanced at Killian, but he refused to meet her eyes. 

She slowly nodded. “I sure did.”

Mary Margaret took a deep breath. “Well, onto wedding preparations. I hardly know where to start. There’s so much to do.”

“Remember, Mom, we want to keep this small and low-key,” she said, reaching for a cookie. 

“Of course, dear. Your father and I have already whittled the list down to 200 guests.”

Emma nearly choked on her cookie. “200?”

“Plus, Killian’s family and friends, of course.”

Emma shook her head. “We aren’t having 200 people, Mom.”

“Emma, your father and I have many business associates. It would be in poor taste not to invite them to our daughter’s wedding.”

Emma shrugged. “Too bad. 50 tops.”

“50?” she said, her eyes nearly falling out of her head.

“Yes, 50.”

“Fine,” she said in disappointment. “Plus, Killian’s family and friends.”

Killian shook his head. “I don’t have any close friends in the states and my parents are my only family. I’m afraid they won’t be able to make it from London on such short notice. As you know, their jobs keep them very busy.”

Mary Margaret waved her hand. “Well, it’s settled then. You’ll have to postpone the wedding. You can’t get married without your parents here.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “Uh, you know, they aren’t that close.”

“Emma!” Mary Margaret scolded. “How would you feel if your father and I weren’t at your wedding?”

“Sounds pretty good right about now,” she muttered.

“I heard that, young lady.”

Killian placed his hand over Emma’s and met Mary Margaret’s eyes. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Nolan. I’ll speak to my parents again. I’ll make certain they are here. No need to postpone.”

Mary Margaret smiled. “Thank you, Killian.” She paused and then pulled out a pad and pen. “Now, let’s go through my list.”

Emma simply stared at him. Where were they supposed to get fake parents now?

…

~I can’t take a chance that I’m wrong about you.~

 

Five excruciating hours later, Emma and Killian were finally on their way home. They had decided the wedding would be held in her parents’ backyard and the staff would prepare the food. She gave her mother full control over the rest of the details. 

They had driven in an uncomfortable silence for some time until Killian finally broke it. 

“You’re mother is extremely…thorough.”

“She’s anal.”

“I was trying to be polite,” he replied. 

They fell into another awkward silence until Emma spoke.

“What were you thinking promising my mother that your parents would be at the wedding?” she asked, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were turning white.

“Would you rather she insisted we postpone it? You have less than a month to get married, Emma, or you lose your trust fund.”

“I am quite aware of that, Killian, thank you very much. Where do you plan on finding fake parents?”

He shrugged. “Not my job. This is your scheme, love. Figure it out.”

Emma ground her teeth together. “What about your thief friends? You must know a man and a woman in their late 50’s to early 60’s who could pull this off.”

Killian’s brow wrinkled at her. “Why do you assume I have friends who are thieves?”

Emma chuckled. “True, I shouldn’t assume you have any friends at all. I doubt anyone could stomach you long enough.”

“I could say the same for you, love.”

She turned to look at him. “Me? People like me just fine.” 

“You are almost tolerable when you’re not on your high horse.” He paused and then added, “Speaking of high horse, I forgive you.”

Emma pulled over to side of the road and slammed on the brakes. She turned to him. “Excuse me?”

“I forgive you for accusing me of stealing and I accept your apology.”

“Funny, because I don’t remember asking for your forgiveness or apologizing.”

“I sensed it. I assumed you were just too stubborn to admit you were wrong. That’s a rather big character flaw, actually. You might want to work on that.”

“I just as easily could have been right,” she said, her hand moving to put the car back into drive. 

“Hey,” Killian said, his voice softening. She met his eyes as his hand encircled her wrist, stopping her movement. “I’m not Neal. I know he hurt you and he made you distrustful of men, but I’m not him.” 

She shook her head. “No, you’re not, but you are just another man who is using me to get what he wants.”

“This is a mutually beneficial arrangement. You may not believe it, Emma, but you can trust me.”

Emma shook his hand off of her and put the car into drive. “I made that mistake once long ago. I won’t make it again.”

“Emma,” he whispered.

“Just hold up your end of the deal and we won’t have a problem. I don’t have to trust you to make this work. I just have to pretend to.” She paused and then added with a sideways glance at him. “And find some people to be your parents. I’m making it your job.”

Killian sighed in frustration and then turned his gaze to the window.

…

~Actually, I quite fancy you from time to time, when you’re not yelling at me.~

 

One week later, Killian showed up at Emma’s bookstore. He sauntered in, a grin on his face, accompanied by an older man and woman.

Emma looked up from the counter she had been cleaning. 

“Oh, hi. I was actually just about to call you,” she greeted him. “Who are they?”

Killian gestured with his hand. “These are my parents.”

Emma’s eye widened as she looked at the African-American man and woman. They smiled politely, but didn’t say anything.

Emma came from around the counter, grabbed him by the elbow, and dragged him to a corner. 

She whispered harshly at him. “They can’t play your parents, Killian.”

“Why not?”

“Look at them!” she said, gesturing wildly with her hands.

“Emma, London doesn’t only consist of Caucasian people, you know,” he replied.

“I am aware of that,” she began through clenched teeth. “But you happen to be a Caucasian person.”

“So we’ll tell your parents I’m adopted,” he said with a shrug.

Emma slapped her hand against her forehead. “Great idea, except you probably would have mentioned that when they asked about your family!”

He tilted his head to the side, trying to hide his smile. He did enjoy irritating her. 

“We can tell them I just found out I’m adopted.”

Emma stared at him slack-jawed. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that. We’ll just have to tell them you neglected to mention it. I don’t understand why you couldn’t find two thieves who are actually the same race as you.”

Killian groaned. “It’s not as if we have some club that meets on Wednesdays for donuts and coffee. I work alone and I keep to myself.”

“Well, then where did you find them?”

“They’re my neighbors. Gus and Martha Wilkins. Nice folks.”

“And they’re thieves?”

“Pickpockets.”

Emma squeezed her eyes closed. “Killian, pickpockets don’t have to lie in order to steal. I wanted people adept at lying.”

“I believe they can pull it off.”

“Fine, but can they pull off an English accent?” she asked.

“I feel confident they can.”

“We’ll see.”

Emma walked over to them and extended her hand. “Emma Swan. Nice to meet you.”

They shook her hand, as the man spoke. “I’m Gus and this is my wife, Martha.”

“For the purposes of our situation, your names will be Simon and Clara Jones. Can I hear you guys speak with an English accent please?”

They nodded and proceeded to do the worst English accent Emma had ever heard. It didn’t even qualify as an English accent.

Martha went first. “Pleased to meet you.”

Gus followed. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Emma threw Killian an icy glare, as he suddenly found his shoes very interesting. She walked over to him and dragged him back to the corner.

“Not dreadful,” he said. “Just needs a little work.”

“A little work? They sound like a cross between Crocodile Dundee and Huckleberry Finn.”

“You’re exaggerating. I’ll work with them on it.”

Emma clenched her fists. “We don’t have time to work on it, Killian. My mother kept asking me if your parents were going to come in time for the wedding. I wanted to get her off my back, so I finally told her they were already here. Then she invited us all over for dinner tonight. She wants to meet them prior to the wedding and discuss wedding plans.”

“Tonight?”

“Yes, as in three hours.”

“It’s impossible, Emma. We have to prep them too.”

Emma handed him a sheet of paper. “No, you have to prep them. I have to work. And you better find them some better clothes too.”

Killian held out his hand expectantly. Emma rolled her eyes and handed him $50.

“Bloody hell, Emma. How do you expect me to clothe two people so they look like distinguished Londoners who work for the Queen on $50? I have to buy him a suit and her a dress. They both need shoes.”

“Goodwill is your best friend. Spend it wisely,” she said, patting his shoulder. “See you in a few hours.”

Killian took a deep breath and then exited the store with his faux parents. He continued down the sidewalk, as Gus let out a snort.

“No love lost between you two, huh?” he said.

Killian remained silent.

Martha shook her head. “You can be so dense sometimes, Gus. They’re like two kids on a playground pulling each other’s hair because they like each other. Isn’t that right, Killian?”

He sighed heavily. “You two don’t need to concern yourself with anything besides playing your parts.”

…..  
End of Part 3  
Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you thought! ~Steph


	4. Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Thanks for your responses to the last part and for reading. Hope you enjoy this part! -Steph

…Accidentally in Love: Part 4/12...

 

~It’s always nice to make an impression.~

 

Emma took a deep breath, as she rang the doorbell. Her mother answered the door a moment later and her mouth immediately dropped open at the sight of Killian’s parents. David stood behind her and had the same reaction.

“Oh, um, hello,” she said, stepping aside to allow all four inside.

Killian gestured to Gus and Martha. “My apologies. I neglected to mention I am adopted. It’s just not something I think about much. My parents are just my parents.”

Mary Margaret nodded, as she extended her hand to them. “Of course. It is so nice to meet you.”

“Simon Jones,” Gus said. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Clara Jones,” Martha said. “I am so pleased to meet you.”

Emma tried to hide her shock at how much their accents had improved. They actually sounded somewhere in the vicinity of an English accent now. Killian must be a very good coach.

David tilted his head at them. “Your accents are very unique. What part of England do you originate from?”

Killian answered before they could. “They are originally from Manchester.”

David nodded. “Ah, I knew their accents sounded familiar.”

Mary Margaret gestured to the dining room. “Why don’t we move to the dining room to begin dinner?”

The Nolans sat on either end, Emma and Killian sat beside each other, and Gus and Martha sat across from them.

As the appetizer was served, Mary Margaret addressed Gus and Martha. “I hear you both work for the Royal Family. That must be such fascinating work. What do you do?”

Emma watched them carefully, hoping they had enough time to memorize the information she had given them.

Gus went first. “I work for the Private Secretary. We serve as a channel of communication between the Head of State and the government. We also organize programs for the Queen and oversee public appearances and events.”

David nodded his head. “That is a very big responsibility.”

“That it is,” Gus said.

“What about you, Clara?” Mary Margaret asked.

Martha had a mouth full of food and began to speak, but Emma kicked her under the table. She held up a finger politely, chewed, and swallowed before beginning. “I work for the Privy Purse and Treasury Office. We oversee the financial operations.”

“Such an important job,” Mary Margaret said. She smiled at Killian. “Your parents are very distinguished.”

He bobbed his head. “That they are. I am very proud of them.”

David smirked. “Ah, but we all know the Royal staff is privy to juicy information about the Queen. Care to share any?”

Emma bit her lip nervously.

Gus nodded. “Well, the Queen has a mustache that she gets waxed weekly.”

Emma exchanged a worried look with Killian, but sighed in relief when her parents burst out laughing. 

Martha went next. “The Queen is frightened of the dark and sleeps with a nightlight.”

Again, they all laughed. They fell into a comfortable conversation after that. Emma began to relax. Maybe they could pull this off after all. She caught Killian’s eyes and offered him a smile. She may have been too hard on him. Gus and Martha were playing their parts very well.

The entrées were soon served. When the quail landed in front of Killian, Emma looked at him apprehensively. He couldn’t fake illness again to get out of eating the meat. But he simply smiled and began to cut the meat. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned her attention to her own food.

Killian had come prepared this time. He had lined his jacket pockets with sandwich bags and was very discreetly placing all of his quail in the bags. He would then dispose of them after he left.

They ate peacefully and when the meal concluded Mary Margaret stood. 

“I thought we could adjourn to the library for dessert and then the conservatory for some cocktails.”

They all stood and followed Mary Margaret and David. 

Killian whispered to Emma as they walked. “Are all of the rooms in your parents’ house named after rooms in the game Clue?”

Emma had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. 

Before they could make it to the library, Dot, Emma’s grandmother’s Chihuahua came running down the hall.

“Oh dear,” Mary Margaret said. “Greta! I thought I told you to put Dot away for the evening.”

Dot ran in circles around all of them and then made a beeline for Killian. When he was a child he had been bitten by a small dog. As a result, he was not fond of dogs and the little ones frightened him. Dot began to paw at his leg and then started to jump up, sniffing at his jacket. Killian’s eyes widened as he realized she could smell the quail.

“I guess she likes you,” Emma said. 

Killian tried to gently push the dog away, but she was relentless. David came up to her.

“Come on, Dot. Leave Killian alone.”

Before David could pick her up, she jumped onto Killian’s leg, climbed up it, and started biting at his jacket pocket.

“Dot, no!” David said, as he tried to pry her off him.

Killian laughed nervously, trying not to overreact as he attempted to free himself. But David and Killian were no match for Dot. She managed to stick her face into Killian’s pocket and grab onto the bag with her teeth. She pulled the bag full of quail out and then dropped to the floor, attacking it.

Killian’s face grew red in embarrassment and Emma’s grew red in anger. Mary Margaret stared at him in confusion.

“Killian, is that the quail I just served for dinner?”

He scratched at the back of his head uneasily. “Well, uh, I, um-…”

Emma interjected, as she wrapped her arm around his waist comfortingly. Killian was surprised by the touch, especially considering she had just broken her own rule.

“Yes, Mother, it is. I told Killian about Dot and how she loves people food, but you don’t allow her to have any. He wanted to bond with her, so he decided to sneak some and he was going to feed it to her when I introduced them.”

Killian smiled gratefully at her. 

Mary Margaret’s brow furrowed. “Oh, well, I suppose that was thoughtful of you, Killian. However, Dot is on a very strict diet so please refrain from feeding her people food from now on.”

“Understood,” he said. “My apologies.”

Mary Margaret nodded and they continued into the library. A table of assorted confectionary treats had been set up. Gus and Martha’s eyes lit up and they practically sprinted to the table. They proceeded to fill their plates to the brim.

Emma muttered to Killian. “Rein your phony parents in. They look like they haven’t eaten in days.”

Killian shrugged. “They probably haven’t.”

Emma groaned. “Are you kidding me?”

“They’re pickpockets, Emma. I doubt they have a substantial grocery budget.”

“Wow, you two sure have a sweet tooth,” Mary Margaret said, eyeing their overflowing plates.

Gus shrugged. “England is not known for its desserts, so this is a special treat.”

As they ate their desserts, the six of them began to mingle. Mary Margaret, Gus, and Emma sat down in one sitting area, while David, Martha, and Killian sat in another. The conversation flowed naturally until Killian noticed Martha glaring at Gus.

“I can’t believe him,” she mumbled.

“What?” Killian asked, as he looked over at Gus. 

Gus was laughing at something Mary Margaret had said and was touching her arm.

“That bastard!” she said, as she jumped out of her seat.

Killian jumped up too and attempted to grab her arm to pull her back down, but he wasn’t quick enough. She marched over to where Mary Margaret, Gus, and Emma sat.

“You son of a bitch!” Martha yelled at him.

Mary Margaret and Emma’s mouth dropped open in shock, as Killian made his way over to her and attempted to steer her back to their seats. She wriggled free of his grip on her shoulders. 

Gus stood and held up his hands. “Calm down.”

“Calm down?! You want me to calm down?! You’re up to no good again. I’ve forgiven you more times than I can count. I won’t do it again!”

“I didn’t do anything. You’re overreacting,” he said calmly.

Martha’s nostrils flared and her eyes roamed wildly. They landed on the Faberge egg that Fiona had moved to the library for safekeeping. It sat on an end table by Martha’s side. She reached down, picked it up, and hurled it at Gus. He ducked and it smashed into a bookcase. It crashed to the floor, splintering into pieces.

“My egg!” Mary Margaret screamed, running over to it.

Emma finally stood, but she was speechless. She met Killian’s eyes, silently begging for help. How could they possibly salvage this one? There was no way her parents would believe that two people who worked for the Queen would behave so badly. Killian laughed nervously.

“I apologize for my parents. Every once in a while the Manchester in them comes out. They’re a scrappy bunch, those Manchester natives.”

David nodded. “I noticed they lost their accents when angered.”

Killian swallowed hard. “Yes, that tends to happen when they argue. Peculiar thing.”

Emma shook her head. “I am so sorry.” She nudged Martha with her elbow. 

“My apologies,” she muttered.

“Apologies,” Gus said.

Killian dug into his jacket pocket and pulled out his checkbook. “Please, let me pay for the damages. How much is the egg worth?”

Mary Margaret stared at the broken egg in her hands. “We bought it at auction for a 100,000.”

“Dollars?” he said in shock.

Emma elbowed him. 

He swallowed hard. “Um, okay, let me just write that check. Anyone have a pen?”

Emma stared at him in bewilderment. She knew any check he wrote would surely bounce, so she didn’t understand why he was even making the gesture.

David held up his hand. “Please, don’t worry about it. I can purchase another. Save your money for your new life together with my daughter.”

Killian and Emma breathed a sigh of relief, as Killian stuck his checkbook back into his pocket.

“I apologize again for the actions of my parents,” Killian said.

Martha chuckled bitterly, as she addressed David and Mary Margaret. “You’ve been married a long time like us. You know how marriage is. It has its ups and downs. Every year I haven’t killed him yet is a good one in my book!”

Gus laughed, while the rest of them just stood in awkward silence. Emma glared at Martha, her jaw clenching. 

Mary Margaret smiled politely. “Every marriage is different. Emma, you and Killian will learn this. You will have bad times. There’s no avoiding that. But it’s how you deal with those bad times that matters.”

David put his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “You deal with the bad times together and you’ll have a great marriage.”

Mary Margaret nodded, as she looked pointedly at Gus and Martha. “And don’t let things fester. Deal with them directly.”

David bobbed his head in agreement. “Once dealt with, don’t hold a grudge and don’t bring up past wrongs in times of trouble. Learn to forgive and move on.”

Gus and Martha looked down at their shoes uncomfortably.

“Wise advice,” Killian said. 

Emma cleared her throat. “On that note, I think we should cut the night short and say our goodbyes.”

They exchanged awkward goodbyes and said thank you to their hosts.

Once in the car, Emma turned to Gus and Martha and glared at them.

“What is wrong with you two?!”

“I didn’t do anything,” Gus whined.

“I guess those three sluts you slept with last year don’t count as anything.”

Emma pointed at them. “Nothing like this can ever happen again. Do you understand?”

They nodded, each adopting a pout.

Emma turned to Killian. “I knew this was a bad idea. You don’t know anything about these two.”

“That is completely untrue. I hear them arguing and throwing things through the wall all the time.”

“Excuse me?” she said, her eyes narrowing at him. “You knew they had a volatile relationship and you still chose them as your fake parents? What is wrong with you?”

He shrugged. “I was under a time crunch.”

“We still get free coffee and donuts for a year from your café, right?” Martha asked.

Emma looked at Killian. “That’s what you promised them?”

“I had to offer them something in exchange for their services.”

Emma turned to them. “You won’t get anything if something like this happens again.”

She turned to Killian. “In one week, we have our Jack and Jill shower.”

“Our what?”

“It’s a coed shower, which means we all have to go. And everyone better be on their best behavior.”

All three groaned.

….

~Have you ever even been in love?~

The week flew by and soon Emma found herself at her shower. They were enjoying a vast assortment of appetizers as they mingled. Emma and Killian were standing next to each other, keeping a watchful eye on Gus and Martha.

Emma sighed heavily and elbowed Killian, pointing at them. “Martha just lifted my great aunt’s wallet out of her purse. And Gus just took my uncle’s out of his jacket. I can’t believe them. You take Gus, I’ll take Martha.”

Emma walked over to Martha and grabbed her by the elbow, while Killian did the same with Gus. They took them over to a corner.

Emma held out her palm. “Hand them over.”

They looked at her innocently. Martha shrugged. “Hand what over?”

Killian groaned. “Don’t play games. We saw you lift the wallets.”

Gus and Martha sighed, as they handed the wallets over. Emma’s eyes narrowed at them. “Apparently, our little talk yesterday didn’t register. If I find out you’ve stolen from anyone else or attempt to steal again, then I will turn you into the police. I’ll give up this whole scam. I don’t care.”

“Fine,” Martha said, rolling her eyes like a petulant teenager.

“Okay,” Gus replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

Their attention was suddenly drawn to her mother, who stood in the middle of the room. “Emma, Killian. Come over here. It’s time to open gifts!”

Emma plastered on a smile, as Killian slipped his hand in hers and they walked over. Emma sat down beside Killian, surrounded by her closest family and friends. She began to open gift after gift.

As she listened to their well wishes, read their thoughtful cards, and saw their smiling faces, she began to feel the guilt build up inside of her. Up until now, she hadn’t really allowed herself to feel guilty for lying to her parents. She told herself it was for a good cause and she had no choice if she wanted to save her business. But she hadn’t really considered how she would have to deceive all of her family and friends too. Her closest family and friends knew her history and most had never expected this day to come, so they were even more overjoyed at the thought that she had found a man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

Emma felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes and she furiously blinked them back. She abruptly stood up. 

“Please excuse me,” she said and headed for the bathroom.

Belle and her mother stood and began to head to the bathroom too, but Killian held a hand up. “I’ll speak to her. I think she is just feeling overwhelmed by the emotion of the day.”

Killian approached the bathroom and knocked on the door.

“Mom, I just need a minute.”

“It’s me,” he said. 

He expected her to groan and yell at him to leave, but instead he heard her slowly make her way to the door, unlock it, and allow him in.

She walked to the toilet and sat down on the toilet seat cover, as she covered her face with her hands. Killian walked over to her and crouched down in front of her. He brought his hand up and gently cupped her cheek. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

She slowly met his eyes. “This is just getting so real now. I am deceiving everyone I care about and I just feel so guilty.”

“You don’t have to do this, Emma.”

“Yes, I do. It’s the only way I can save my business.”

“You know as well as I do that your parents would write you a check in a heartbeat that would save your business and make you financially secure if you just asked them. Your mother probably spends more on fresh flowers in a month.”

“I can’t ask them.”

“You mean you won’t.”

Emma groaned. “Is this your idea of helping?”

“You’re being stubborn. You would rather lie to your parents than ask for help.”

“I pride myself on being independent. That money belongs to me and I shouldn’t be denied it just because my old-fashioned grandmother put a stupid marriage clause on it.”

“I just think you’re better than this,” he said softly.

Emma glared at him and then stood up abruptly, nearly knocking him over in the process. She began to pace, as he stood up.

“You’re a thief, Killian. This may surprise you, but I don’t value your opinion on my character much.”

“I may be a thief, but I have a code. And I don’t lie to the people I claim to love.”

Emma’s eyes flared at him. “Oh and who would that be? Do you have any friends or family at all? Ever been in love?”

Killian dropped his gaze. “You would know all of that if you hadn’t torn up the sheet I gave you.”

Emma took a step closer, eyeing him. Her voice softened. “Well, I’m asking you now. Who is the real Killian Jones?”

“You really want to do this now?”

“No time like the present,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

He slowly met her eyes. “I was born in London. I had one older brother. My father abandoned us when I was 8. My mother died two years later. My brother and I were sent to an orphanage where we were abused regularly, so we ran away and lived on the streets. We stole to survive. ”

Emma stared at him in disbelief. She always figured he didn’t have a fairytale upbringing considering where he ended up, but she never imagined it was quite that bad.

“That must have been very difficult. I’m really sorry.”

He shrugged, but went on. “When my brother was 18 and I was 16, we decided we were going to save up to come to the states. One week before we were going to leave, my brother was mugged in an alley. They stole all of our money and stabbed him 5 times. Right in front of me. I tried to save him, but I couldn’t. He died in my arms.”

Emma was speechless. She felt her body moving without permission and slowly embraced him. He was taken aback, but recovered quickly, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her hair.

“I am so sorry,” she whispered.

“Thank you,” he said, squeezing his eyes closed.

They reluctantly parted after a few moments and Emma brushed at a tear in the corner of her eye with her knuckle.

“So what finally brought you to the U.S. then?”

“I met a girl,” he said, smiling sadly. Emma’s eyebrows raised, as he went on. “Her name was Milah and I met her a few months after I turned 18. After I lost Liam, I was alone for two years. Milah was a thief too and we fell in love. We decided to move to the states together, so we saved up. Once we got here, we went right back to stealing. We managed to scrape together enough money for an apartment. We were happy. At least I thought we were. One day, I came home to find Milah in bed with our landlord. She tried to tell me it didn’t mean anything, but I knew better. I knew she never loved me. I was just her ticket to the U.S.”

Emma nodded at him. They had more in common than she realized.

“So you know how it feels to be betrayed by someone you love.”

“Aye, that I do. And I did the same as you, Emma. I swore off relationships.”

Emma smiled. “Just not fake engagements.”

He grinned at her. “I make exceptions for damsels in distress.”

“I am not a damsel in distress,” she said firmly.

“You seemed rather distressed a few minutes ago, love.”

“It was a moment of weakness. It’s passed. I know this is what I have to do. Thank you for telling me your story, but it doesn’t change anything. I may be doing the wrong thing, but I’m doing it for the right reason.”

Emma moved to leave, but Killian caught her elbow. “And what happens if your friends and family learn the truth, Emma? Will you be able to live with yourself if they can’t forgive you?”

Emma tore her arm free from him. “I’ll have to.”

She then exited the bathroom, as his eyes followed her.

….

~You and I, we understand each other.~

That night, Emma went home and immediately headed for her bedroom. She pulled a bag from her nightstand, went into the kitchen and sat down at the table. She opened the bag and emptied out its contents. A flurry of paper fell onto the table. 

It was the information sheet Killian had given her about himself, which she had promptly ripped up. After he left, she had almost swept them into the trash, but something had stopped her. This was a man’s life, his personality. It didn’t seem right to just throw it away like it meant nothing. So she had saved it. 

She realized now that she needed to know the real him too if she was going to make this work. She had dismissed him as nothing more than a thief and, deep down, she knew she was afraid to find out if he was more than that. But not knowing he was a vegetarian had nearly caused them to blow the whole thing. And then tonight he had told her about his family and the only woman he had ever loved. He’d had his heart broken too. Maybe they weren’t so different after all. Now, she felt a burning need to learn more about the true Killian Jones. 

She went into the junk drawer in the kitchen and pulled out the tape. She moved back to sit down at the table and began moving the pieces around, like she was doing a puzzle. When she found some words that matched up, she taped them together. Hours later, she had put the paper back together. 

The beginning was his autobiography, detailing his family background and romantic past that he had already told her. Her eyes scanned down the paper. 

Favorite color: Green. Favorite food: Pizza. Least favorite food: Bologna. 

Emma smiled at that. That made sense, considering he was a vegetarian. She figured lamb ran a close second. 

Favorite movie: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Dislikes dogs and fears small ones.

Emma chuckled to herself. He and Dot certainly didn’t hit it off. 

She continued reading. Pet peeve: Phoniness.

Emma raised her eyebrows at that one. He was a thief who lied for a living and was currently in a fake engagement. On the other hand, he did tell her tonight that he doesn’t lie to the people he loves and he did encourage her to put an end to the ruse. 

Her eyes continued down the page. Greatest fear: Being alone forever.

Emma’s mouth dropped open at that one, but she had to admit it made sense. He had no one. He had lost everyone he had ever loved and sworn off relationships. He didn’t want to risk getting hurt again, so he had basically sentenced himself to living out his greatest fear.

Her eyes moved lower. My perfect day: Go sailing until the sun sets. Eat pizza under the stars in the park.

Emma smiled. That did sound like a perfect day. She slowly folded the paper and went back into her bedroom. She placed it in her nightstand and then laid down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Killian Jones, it turns out, was much more than a thief.

The following day, Emma came in to work and went about her normal routine. She kept getting distracted though. Her mind kept drifting to Killian and how she ached to know more about him. She knew this was definitely not good. She couldn’t allow herself to fall for him. 

By late afternoon, even Belle had noticed something was off.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Emma nodded. “Of course. Why?”

Belle gestured at her. “Well, you’ve been cleaning the same spot on the counter for 15 minutes and you just put a scone in the cash register.”

Emma’s eye widened and she opened the cash register. Her face reddened in embarrassment as she noticed the scone right on top of the dollar bills. She removed it and dropped it into the trash.

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly.

“What’s going on, Emma?” she asked.

“Nothing,” she replied.

Belle put her hands on her hips. “I know you better than that. It’s him, isn’t it?”

“Who?” Emma asked, feigning bewilderment.

Belle rolled her eyes. “Killian, of course. I was right. You’re falling for him.”

Emma squeezed her eyes closed and sighed in defeat. There was no point in denying it anymore. This was more than just an attraction. 

“I just…I didn’t expect him to be the way he is. There’s more to him than I ever expected.”

Belle opened her mouth to speak when the bell rang on the door. They both turned their attention to it and their eyes landed on Killian. 

“Speak of the devil,” Belle whispered, before moving to the bookshelves.

Emma swallowed hard. “Hey, what are you doing here?”

“Well,” he began slowly. “I’ve been thinking. If we’re going to pull this off, then perhaps we need to become more comfortable with each other and spend more time together.”

Emma’s brow rose upward at that. “Oh.”

He smiled. “I was hoping I could steal you away for the rest of the day.”

Emma’s eyes darted over to Belle. “Actually, I have a lot of work to do and I couldn’t just leave Belle all-…”

Belle shook her head. “Go, have fun. We’re not busy and we close in a few hours anyway.”

Emma offered her an icy glare. What was Belle thinking? Emma couldn’t spend any alone time with the true Killian Jones. She’d be a goner for sure if she did.

“Belle, I really don’t-…”

Belle came to stand beside her best friend. “Go. You deserve a little time off.”

Killian grinned and extended his hand to her. “It’s settled then. Shall we go?”

Emma nodded and placed her hand in his. She expected him to release her hand the moment she rounded the counter, but instead he linked their fingers together. Emma took a deep breath. Killian smiled, pleased she hadn’t pulled away.

They made their way outside and walked down the sidewalk. Emma realized they were headed toward the docks.

“What did you have in mind?” she asked.

“I thought we’d go sailing.”

Emma’s eyebrows raised, as she realized that was the beginning of his perfect day. She didn’t say a word as they came to the end of the pier and he began to untie a sailboat.

She eyed the boat suspiciously. “Is this your boat?”

He tilted his head, a devilish grin on his lips. “Well, let’s just say I’m borrowing it from a mate of mine.”

Emma’s eyes narrowed. “Did you ask this so-called mate?”

“Well, no, but he owes me a favor.”

“I believe that’s thief code for stealing.”

“It’s not stealing if you plan on returning it.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Actually, it is.”

Killian shrugged. “He’ll never know it’s missing and, as I said, he owes me one. This will make us square.”

Killian stepped into the boat and extended his hand to her. She hesitated.

Emma thought about bolting, but couldn’t make her legs move. The truth was, she wanted nothing more than to spend a perfect day with Killian Jones. 

She slipped her hand in his and stepped into the boat.   
…  
End of Part 4  
Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you thought! ~Steph


	5. Part 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your responses to the last part and for reading. Can you guys take a second to answer a question for me? I’ve been wondering if the frequency with which I’ve been posting this story is okay. Up until now, I’ve been posting a new part every couple of days. I’ve already finished writing it, so that’s why I’ve been able to post it so quickly. But I’ve been wondering if that makes it harder to keep up with it. So would your prefer that I post every 4-5 days? Once a week? Or keep posting every couple of days? If you can take a second to let me know what you prefer, I’d appreciate it! Thanks! Hope you enjoy this part! -Steph

…Accidentally in Love: Part 5/12...

 

~Whatever we become, it’s up to her as much as me.~

 

Killian sat down next to Emma, so he could steer the boat. Emma could immediately tell he was experienced.

“Where did you learn how to sail?”

“My father,” he said softly, his eyes focused on the water. “Before he left, he used to take my brother and I out on the water all the time.”

Emma nodded. “Those must be some nice memories.”

He bobbed his head. “It’s all I have left of them both.”

Emma paused for a moment, then said, “This is really peaceful.” 

“Aye, that it is. I have great affection for the water. It’s always calmed me.”

They slipped into a comfortable silence for a long time, just enjoying the sea breeze and the warm sun that was beginning to set. Emma watched the sky morph into a canvas of colors as the sun slipped below the horizon.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

Killian’s eyes scanned her face, as he replied softly, “Aye, beautiful.”

A gust of wind suddenly swept around them and Emma shivered. Killian almost automatically put his arm around her shoulders, but froze, arm in mid-air, and looked down at her. She noticed his hesitancy and, without her permission, she felt her hand reach up and link their fingers. She pulled his arm around her and leaned into his warmth, as she placed her head on his shoulder.

Killian swallowed hard. Emma had just initiated physical contact with him. They were currently in a fairly intimate position, but there was no one around to see them. They looked very much like a genuine couple.

Killian licked at his lips, as Emma lifted her head and her eyes met his. He began to slowly lower his mouth down to hers. Emma closed her eyes, waiting for his lips to touch hers. But, just as their lips were about to meet, a seagull suddenly flew over them and defecated right on top of Killian’s head.

He let out a little yelp and Emma’s eyes flew open. She looked at his head, realizing what had just happened. Emma covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, as she finally broke contact with him. He patted at his head, before shaking it, and laughing. 

The moment was undoubtedly ruined. Emma and Killian couldn’t help but be disappointed. Emma knew it was a bad idea spending time with him, but she couldn’t help herself. Now, she wanted nothing more than to kiss him and feel his arms around her again. 

They quickly made their way back to the dock and Killian tied the boat to the pier. 

He smiled at her. “I need to go take a shower. I guess our time together must be cut short.” 

Emma chewed on her lip nervously. “It doesn’t have to be,” she said softly.

Killian arched an eyebrow. “Really? I was certain you’d want to use this as an excuse to go home.”

God help her, Emma didn’t want her time with him to end. She was enjoying spending time with the real Killian Jones. No pretending. Just the two of them. 

She shook her head, her eyes focused on his. “I don’t want an excuse.”

Killian tried to hide his joy at that statement. “Well, okay. Then…will you have dinner with me?”

Emma smiled. “I’d love to.”

A grin spread across his lips, as he hooked his thumb in the general direction of his apartment. “Give me 30 minutes and meet me at Pepe’s.”

Emma’s heart fluttered in her chest, as she watched him go. Pepe’s was a pizzeria. He really was creating his vision of a perfect day and he wanted to spend it with her.

30 minutes later, Killian appeared in front of Pepe’s, his hair still wet and clinging to his forehead. She didn’t think it was possible, but he looked even sexier than usual. He held a basket in his hand.

“I thought we could have a pizza picnic in the park. I brought some wine.”

Emma smiled knowingly. “Sounds perfect.”

“So what kind of pizza do you like?” he asked.

“Pineapple,” she said.

His nose wrinkled. “I prefer broccoli.”

Emma’s lips turned downward. “Yuck. I’ve hated broccoli since I was a kid.”

“It’s good for you.”

“Now you sound like my mother.”

“How about a compromise? Half pineapple, half broccoli,” he proposed.

“Okay,” she agreed with a nod. “But just make sure none of the broccoli comes onto my half. It makes everything taste like it.”

Killian chuckled, “As you wish.”

He went into the pizzeria and emerged twenty minutes later with a medium pizza. Emma followed him to the park. She was surprised to find he was well-prepared when he pulled a blanket, plates, napkins, a wine bottle, and wine glasses out of the basket.

He noticed her surprise. “What?”

She shrugged. “I just didn’t expect you’d have all of the components for a picnic. No offense, but it barely looked like you had running water at your apartment.”

Killian laughed, as he met her eyes. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, love.”

Emma nodded and said softly. “I’m beginning to realize that.” 

She paused, as a thought suddenly occurred to her. If this was his perfect day, then maybe he had done this with other women before. Maybe this was his go-to move, which is why he was so prepared. Maybe this wasn’t special at all.

She began hesitantly. “Do you, um, do this a lot? The whole sailing and pizza picnic in the park thing?”

Killian met her eyes and shook his head. “No, this is the first time. I guess I was just waiting for the right person to share it with.”

Emma smiled in relief, as she felt herself being pulled toward him again, but quickly shook her head and laughed nervously. 

“I guess we should eat before it gets cold.”

He nodded, swallowing hard, as he handed her a plate and a glass of wine. They ate in a comfortable silence, the only light coming from the stars above and a lone lamp.

Emma sighed, as she looked up at the stars in awe. “I’ve always loved looking up at the stars. I had a lot of books on constellations as a kid.”

Killian smiled. “You loved to read as a child, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“Me too,” he said, happy they had found more common ground.

“I loved fairytales,” she said, turning her eyes over to him.

“Oh, I suppose you were fond of the whole princess meets her prince thing.”

Emma laughed and shook her head. “No, actually, I just liked to escape into a different world, where problems could be solved with magic.” She paused and then added softly, “And love sealed with a simple kiss.”

The words hung in the air for a long moment, as their gazes held. Killian slowly leaned toward her, his eyes scanning her face, as his lips neared hers. Emma swallowed hard. He was so close she could feel his warm breath on her skin. He brought his hand up to cup her cheek and he had nearly closed the distance between them, when she abruptly turned her face away from him and returned her gaze to the stars.

Killian’s hand slipped from her face, but his eyes remained on her. Emma felt her heart beating wildly in her chest. She wanted to kiss him so badly, but she knew if she allowed that to happen, then there would be no turning back. 

Killian reluctantly turned his eyes back to the stars. He knew she wanted him to kiss her, but something had stopped her. Still, he couldn’t help smiling to himself. He had just spent a perfect day with Emma. No amount of near-miss kisses or bird poop could spoil that. He realized then that it didn’t matter what he was doing, just being with Emma was perfect on its own. 

…

~You look stunning, Swan.~

 

The following day, Emma stood in front of the full length mirror in her mother’s bedroom, staring at her reflection. This was the 10th wedding dress she’d tried on.

“This one’s nice,” Belle said.

“I really like it,” Mary Margaret agreed.

Emma shook her head. “It’s all wrong.”

Belle and Mary Margaret groaned. Mary Margaret had called in a favor and had a rack of wedding dresses delivered to the house, but Emma had found something wrong with every one.

“Emma,” her mother began, “You need to make a choice. The wedding is in less than a week and alterations may need to be made.”

“None of these are right,” she said with a frustrated sigh.

Belle gestured to the beautiful designer dresses. The cost of one could probably get them out of debt. “Emma, any bride would kill for these dresses.”

Emma shook her head and then reached for another. This one had a strapless lace bodice and a ball gown skirt. Belle and Mary Margaret helped her into it. 

She admired herself in the mirror, a smile pulling at her lips. An image of a grinning Killian standing at the end of the aisle as she walked towards him flashed in her mind. 

The sound of Belle’s voice whispering in her ear pulled her from her thoughts. “Emma, this is not even a real wedding. You just need to pick one.”

Emma turned to face her mother and Belle. “Could I have a few minutes alone please?”

Mary Margaret nodded and stood. “Of course, dear. I hope this means you are close to making a decision.”

Mary Margaret and Belle exited the room and Emma looked back at herself in the mirror. This one felt right.

She heard a knock at the door and rolled her eyes, as she stalked toward it. “I told you I needed a few-…”

She threw the door open, but stopped mid-sentence when she was greeted by Killian’s smiling face.

“Killian?”

His mouth dropped open, as his gaze washed over her. “Emma, you…you look absolutely beautiful.”

Emma’s eyes widened and she shook her head, slamming the door in his face. “You’re not supposed to see me in my dress before the wedding!”

Killian chuckled on the other side of the door. “That’s a ridiculous superstition that only applies to real weddings.”

He opened the door and let himself in. His brow furrowed for a moment when he didn’t see her, but then he spotted her hiding behind the rack of dresses. He moved toward her, but she held up her hand.

“Don’t come any closer.”

“Emma, please.”

“It’s bad luck, Killian.”

“And if we were really getting married, then I might indulge you, but we are not, so there’s nothing to concern yourself with.”

“We need all the luck we can get, real or not. I need to pull this thing off.”

Killian came around the rack, but Emma moved in the opposite direction.

“Emma, come on.”

“No.”

He sighed and stopped in the center of the rack, his arms reaching out to part the dresses. Her mouth dropped open when he appeared before her. She threw her arms up.

“Great, now I need to pick another dress. I really thought this was the one too.”

Killian smiled. “It looks amazing on you. It is the one.” He paused and then added, as he came around the rack to stand before her. “I came up here because you seemed to be taking a great deal of time. Is everything all right?”

Emma shook her head, but dropped her eyes to the ground. “I couldn’t decide.”

“It’s a fake wedding, Emma. You don’t need to find the perfect dress. It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me,” she whispered.

“Why?” he asked, his brow furrowing.

She slowly met his eyes. “I never thought about getting married. Even as a kid, I never imagined myself as a bride. I never planned my wedding out or imagined what my dress would look like. And after Neal, I knew that I never would. But then I put this dress on and it all felt so real. Everyone thinks it’s real, Killian. My parents, my friends. They’re all so happy for me. So…I don’t know…when I started trying on dresses, it just felt like I should find the right one. I’ve heard you’ll know it when you see it and I think this one is it.”

She didn’t mention how her feelings for him seemed to be growing with each passing moment and that it made her feel as if this wedding meant more than it should.

“Speaking as your fake fiancé, I couldn’t agree more.”

Emma simply smiled at him.

….

~That was a one time thing.~

The next few days flew by, amidst a flurry of last minute wedding preparations. Soon, it was the day before the big event. Emma had hired an actor to pretend to be a Justice of the Peace and her friend down at city hall had faked her a marriage license. 

Now, all they needed to do was get through the rehearsal dinner tonight and the wedding tomorrow. She would get her trust fund, she would make it a point to avoid her parents for a couple of months, and then she could tell them she was getting a divorce. No more pretending. And then Killian would be gone from her life too.

Emma found herself frowning at that thought and her heart dropped into her stomach. In less than a month, he’d become such a huge part of her life. She’d actually come to depend on him. She’d come to care about him. If she was being honest with herself, then she knew it went a whole lot deeper than that. 

Emma was thrown from her thoughts by the sound of the bell ringing on the door. Killian appeared and she immediately felt her lips pulled into a smile at the sight of him.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hi. So I was thinking that something was missing from the wedding.”

Emma’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh no, what?”

“I need a best man.”

Emma breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, I thought it was something important.”

“Well, Belle is your maid of honor. It will look strange if I don’t have someone stand up for me too.”

Emma shrugged. “You already told my parents you don’t have any close family or friends here.”

“I know, but I feel like I need a best man to really sell this.”

Emma groaned. “And where are we supposed to find a fake best man by tomorrow?”

Killian smiled. “Already done.”

“Really? Who?”

“There’s a bloke I know. His name’s Robin. He owes me a favor.”

Emma’s eyes narrowed at him. “Is he a thief too?”

Killian nodded. “Aye, but a morally upright one.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means he steals from the rich and gives to the poor.”

Emma laughed sardonically. “And you want this man to come to my extremely wealthy parents’ house tomorrow for our wedding?”

“Of course not. He’s coming tonight, so they can meet him before the wedding.”

Emma shook her head. “Absolutely not. Killian, you cannot be this dense. This guy only agreed to this because he wants to steal from my parents.”

“He promised me he wouldn’t.”

“Oh he promised, did he? Was it a pinkie swear? Did he cross his heart?”

Killian rolled his eyes. “He’ll be on his best behavior.”

Emma sighed in defeat. “He better be.”

With that, they headed to her parents. The rehearsal dinner was being held out on the large patio in the backyard. Robin, Gus, and Martha were already there when Killian and Emma arrived.

David smiled at them. “Look who’s finally here. The guests of honor.”

Emma hugged her parents. “Sorry we’re late.”

Mary Margaret waved her hand. “Don’t worry, dear. We were being entertained by Killian’s friend, Robin. It’s not everyday you meet a real-life astronaut.”

Killian and Emma exchanged a look. Emma shook her head. “No, it’s not. It’s almost hard to believe.”

Robin stepped forward and kissed Emma on the cheek. “It’s lovely to meet you, Emma. Killian has told me so much about you.”

“So nice to meet you too.”

David gestured to the house. “Robin, would you like a tour of the house?”

“I would love one.”

Emma’s eyes widened in panic. He could steal any number of things while on the tour. “Actually, I think dinner is ready.”

Mary Margaret nodded. “It is. Let’s all take our seats.”

Emma took her place next to Killian. Her father stood at the head of the table.

“My wife and I would like to thank you all for joining us here today to celebrate our daughter and her fiancé. We never thought this day would come, so imagine our surprise when a few weeks ago, Emma announced that she was engaged and getting married within the month. Over the last few weeks, Mary Margaret and I have had the pleasure of getting to know Killian. We are so happy that Emma found him. We wish them all the love and happiness in the world.”

Emma felt Killian’s eyes on her and she turned to face him. Their gazes met and held for a long moment. Before Emma knew what she was doing, she felt herself leaning in towards him. Her lips brushed against his and Killian assumed she was breaking her own no touching rule because she felt the moment called for it. But then she pulled back, scanned his face, and dove back in, her lips crashing into his. Her hand reached up to grasp at the hair at the nape of his neck, deepening the kiss. Killian was taken by surprise, but responded eagerly, his hands tangling in her blonde locks. When she slipped her tongue in his mouth, he responded by sucking on it. A moment later, she pulled back, her forehead touching his.

They were so caught up in the moment that they had forgotten they had an audience. Everyone was staring at them. Robin came to the rescue and began to clap and gave a little whistle.

“Aye, mate, that’s how you do it!”

Emma felt her face grow red, realizing that she had just made out with Killian in front of her parents. She wasn’t sure what had gotten into her, but she was certain that nothing had ever felt so good or so right.

Killian brought his fingertips up to his lips, as he finally tore his eyes away from her. The taste of her lingered and he knew without a doubt that one taste would never be enough. 

They were thrown from their thoughts when the staff started to serve the meal. The meal proceeded without incident. Robin regaled them with tales of his trips to space. They were all captivated by him and didn’t seem to question a word he said.

They were nearly at dessert when Killian felt something brush against his thigh. He was startled for a moment, until he realized it was Emma’s hand and she was reaching for his. He moved his hand and entwined their fingers. He met her gaze and looked around the table, certain the move had been done for everyone’s benefit. But he realized no one was looking at them and, even if they were, they wouldn’t be able to see their hands joined below the table. 

Emma smiled gently at him and squeezed his hand. Killian felt his heart jump in his chest. His heart had actually skipped a beat at her touch. And as they sat their hand-in-hand they both realized that nothing had ever felt so right before.

The rest of the evening went on normally and Killian found that Emma was using every excuse in the book to touch him. He didn’t mind one bit.

Emma found that she literally couldn’t resist touching him. She had been denying herself for so long that she didn’t want to anymore, at least not for tonight. 

They finally said their goodbyes and Emma and Killian headed to the car. Once in, Killian turned to her.

“Not that I’m complaining, love, but I thought you had a rule about no displays of affection.”

Emma shrugged. “It felt like the occasion called for a little physical interaction. We had to sell it.”

Killian cocked his head. “Oh, is that why you slipped your tongue into my mouth?”

Emma felt her cheeks burning. “I got caught up in the moment. It didn’t mean anything and it won’t happen again.”

Killian smiled to himself. Turns out, Emma Swan is actually a terrible liar.

…

~I’m in this for the long haul.~

The big day had finally arrived and Emma was panic-stricken. She had locked herself in the bathroom at her parents. 

“Emma, please come out,” Belle pleaded as she knocked on the door.

“No, please just leave me alone.”

“The wedding is going to start any minute.”

Killian came to stand beside Belle. “How long has she been in there?”

“An hour,” Belle said.

Killian raised his eyebrows and then knocked on the door. “Emma, it’s me. Please, open the door.”

To Belle’s surprise, she heard Emma walk to the door and turn the lock. She slowly opened the door, but didn’t emerge.

“Come in,” she said.

Belle made a move to enter, but she pointed at Killian. “I meant Killian.”

Belle’s eyebrows raised in surprise, but she stepped aside to allow him entrance. Emma closed the door behind him.

Emma sat down on the toilet seat cover and placed her hands over her face.

“You know, love, the loo seems to be our special place.”

His attempt at humor was met with silence. 

“What’s wrong?” he finally asked.

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. 

“I don’t think I can do this,” she said.

“Then don’t,” he replied.

Emma’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “What? You’re supposed to talk me into doing it.”

He shook his head. “Emma, you already know how I feel. You have a choice.”

“But we’ve already come this far, Killian. What am I supposed to do? Tell everyone it was all a ruse? They’ll hate me. They’ll never forgive me. My parents will never speak to me again.”

“You told me you could live with the consequences.”

“Maybe I can’t.”

“Well, then, we can still call it off. We’ll say we rushed into things and we’re not ready to get married.”

“But that will still leave me with my original problem. I need money fast or we’ll lose our business.”

“Emma, we’ve already discussed this. You know your parents will give you the money.”

“I told you that’s not an option,” she said sharply.

“Then you leave yourself no choice. The fake wedding must go on.”

Emma took a deep breath and wiped at her face to dry her tears. He held his hand out to her and she slipped hers into it, as she stood up.

“Come on,” he said with a smile. “This is going to be the best fake wedding you’ve ever seen.”

Emma still stood rooted to her spot. He took her hands in his and met her eyes, speaking softly. “If you get out there and you’re scared, then find me. Meet my eyes and everything will be okay. I’ll get you through it, love.”

Emma managed a half-hearted smile at him, but she knew he meant what he said. Throughout this whole ruse, he had been there for her. He had gotten her through this. She knew she could depend on him. 

They opened the bathroom door, Killian gave her hand a comforting squeeze, and offered her one last smile. Then he left her with Belle as he made his way outside to take his spot at the end of the aisle to wait for her.

“Are you okay?” Belle asked.

Emma nodded. “I’m okay. Let’s do this.”

They both walked outside and Emma saw the beautiful set-up for the first time. Her mother had really outdone herself. Flowers hung off the seats that lined the aisle and topiaries were scattered about. An archway covered with roses stood at the end of the aisle. Lights had been strung between trees and inside the tent where the reception would be held. 

Emma felt a pang of guilt that her parents had spent all of this time, effort, and money on something that wasn’t even real. She forced herself to take a deep breath and push those thoughts away. The music started and Belle went down the aisle ahead of her. 

Her father appeared at her side and she linked her arm with his.

“Are you okay, Emma? Your mother said you were in the bathroom for a long time.”

Emma nodded and managed a smile. “I’m okay. Just some wedding day jitters.”

“You look beautiful, sweetheart. I’m so glad I get to share this day with you.”

Emma blinked back tears, as she turned to face the guests and make her way down the aisle. Her hand holding the bouquet was trembling and her legs felt like jello. She couldn’t move. 

Then she remembered what Killian had told her. She took another deep breath and moved her gaze to the end of the aisle. And there he was, looking as handsome as ever in his charcoal tux. Their eyes met and he offered her a reassuring smile.

She felt her hand stop shaking and her legs firm up, as their eyes held. And then it hit her like a ton of bricks as she began to walk down the aisle, their gazes never faltering. 

She had fallen for Killian Jones. She didn’t know when it had happened, but somewhere along the way he had found his way into her heart. There was no denying it any longer. She loved him. 

And the thought calmed her. Even though she knew the wedding was still not real, when she looked into his eyes and said those heartfelt words, they wouldn’t be a lie. For the first time in weeks, she wouldn’t have to pretend.

Killian watched Emma make her way to him. He had never seen a more beautiful bride in his life. He couldn’t have torn his eyes away from her if he had wanted to. And just as she made it halfway to him, realization washed over him too. It was like a strike of lightening. He was in love with her. Head over heels, crazy in love with Emma Swan.

But whereas the realization had calmed Emma, it had unnerved Killian. This wasn’t pretend anymore. At least not for him and, if the way Emma was looking at him was any indication, then he was pretty certain it was real for her too. The wedding remained a sham, but the feelings and the sentiments they were about to share were genuine. 

So why did it unnerve him then? Because he knew that no matter how he felt, Emma would never truly be his. Even if she returned his feelings, her parents would never accept the true Killian Jones. They could never really be together.

He was thrown from his thoughts by the arrival of Emma. David pressed a kiss to his daughter’s cheek and then placed her hands in Killian’s. David took his place next to his wife who was smiling from ear-to-ear.

“You okay, love?” Killian asked. 

“I am now,” she said, smiling.

The fake Justice of the Peace began. “Today, we are here to join this man and this woman in marriage. Marriage is a sacred institution and it should not be entered into lightly or without proper aforethought.”

Emma and Killian exchanged a look.

“Emma and Killian, you are about to enter into a lifetime partnership. There will be highs and lows, joy and sadness, but one thing must remain the same. You must always be there to support each other through everything, good and bad.”

Emma smiled at Killian. If this ruse had taught them anything, it was that they could be there for each other no matter what was thrown at them.

“I will now ask you to repeat your wedding vows. Do you, Killian, take this woman, Emma, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love, honor and cherish her through sickness and in health, through times of happiness and travail, until death do you part?”

Killian looked into Emma’s eyes and said, “I do.”

“Place the ring upon her finger and repeat after me: With this ring, I thee wed, and forever pledge my devotion.”

Killian took the ring from Robin and slid it on Emma’s finger. “With this ring, I thee wed, and forever pledge my devotion.”

The faux Justice of the Peace turned to Emma. “Do you, Emma, take this man, Killian, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love, honor and cherish her through sickness and in health, through times of happiness and travail, until death do you part?”

Emma bobbed her head and smiled. “I do.”

“Place the ring upon his finger and repeat after me: With this ring, I thee wed, and forever pledge my devotion.”

Emma took the ring from Belle and slid it on Killian’s finger. “With this ring, I thee wed, and forever pledge my devotion.”

Emma didn’t feel the pang of guilt she expected to and she knew why. This felt real. She felt the words in her heart and it didn’t feel like she was pretending anymore. 

Emma and Killian joined hands again. 

“By the power invested in me by the state of Maine, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” He turned to Killian. “You may kiss the bride.”

Killian hesitated for a moment, then leaned in slowly, intent on giving Emma the obligatory peck on the lips that everyone was waiting for. But when his lips met hers, Emma cupped his face and pulled him closer to her, deepening the kiss. It took him by surprise, even though he knew she was lying when she said their first kiss was a one time thing. 

Killian wrapped his arms around Emma’s waist, as they slowly parted. Their eyes met and Killian saw something new in hers. He’d always seen the attraction, but now he saw love. 

Emma felt her heart beating wildly as she looked into Killian’s eyes. They had been filled with desire for her from the moment they met, but now she saw more. She saw love shining in his eyes. 

They smiled at each other, as they linked their hands together and turned to face their guests. They were on their feet applauding them. Emma looked at her parents, who were beaming with pride. They began their walk down the aisle and when they reached the end, Killian turned to Emma.

“You did it,” he said.

“We did it,” she replied, squeezing his hand.

“Again, I’m certainly not complaining, love, but that kiss back there was far more than required by tradition. I thought you said our first was a one time thing. Were you simply caught up in the moment again?”

Emma smiled. “I lied. I wanted to kiss you on the boat. I wanted to kiss you in the park. I wanted to kiss you last night and I wanted to kiss you a few moments ago.”

Killian’s brow raised, as a grin appeared on his face. “Well, look at that. We finally agree on something. I’ve wanted to kiss you since the moment we met.” He paused and then asked, “So what does this mean now?”

Emma tilted her head. “Well, I move to officially revoke the no displays of affection rule. All in favor say ‘Aye’.”

Killian grinned. “Aye.”

Emma’s smile widened, as he began to lean in to initiate a kiss for the first time. But they were interrupted by a flurry of guests coming to congratulate them.

They exchanged a look as they began giving hugs and shaking hands. Neither could deny that things would never be the same between them again. 

And although Killian knew they could never truly be more, he vowed to enjoy these moments with Emma for as long as he could. 

…  
End of part 5  
Thanks for reading! Please take a second to let me know how often you’d prefer me to post and what you thought! Thanks! ~Steph


	6. Part 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Thanks for your responses to the last part and for reading! And thanks for the input about how often to update! The consensus was to keep it at every 2-3 days, so I’ll stick with that. Hope you enjoy this part! -Steph

…Accidentally in Love: Part 6/12...

 

~Of course I trust you.~ 

 

The DJ stood in the middle of the dance floor and gestured at Emma and Killian. “And now, for the first time as husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Jones.”

Emma smiled, as she slipped her hand into Killian’s. Mrs. Jones. She liked the sound of that, even though she knew would choose to be Swan-Jones if this were the real thing. 

They took their place in the center of the dance floor, the eyes of their guests upon them. Emma met Killian’s gaze, as Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ filled the air.

“I know this should feel weird, but it doesn’t,” she said.

Killian nodded. Holding Emma in his arms felt completely natural, like he had been waiting his whole life to do it. He vowed in that moment to allow himself to enjoy this day with Emma. Despite their feelings for each other, he knew they could never be more. So, if this was the only chance he’d ever get to call Emma Swan his, then he was going to make the most of it. 

He smiled down at her. “These last few weeks, Emma…they’ve been the happiest of my life.”

“Mine too. I never expected this, Killian.” She took a deep breath. “When this started, I had a goal in mind and you were simply the guy to help me reach that goal. And you were so irritating, I could barely stand it!”

Killian chuckled. “I rather enjoyed annoying you, love.”

Emma’s expression grew serious. “But somewhere along the line, things became real between us.”

“Did that frighten you? Considering your history, I would expect it to.”

Emma nodded. “It did. I kept denying there was more and pushing my feelings aside.”

“What changed?”

“We spent that day together and I realized there was so much more to you. And then I met your eyes before I started walking down the aisle and I knew you’d be there for me like you said would. I knew you wouldn’t let me down. For the first time since Neal, I knew I could trust another man with my heart.”

Killian swallowed hard. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but she wasn’t seeing the situation realistically. After the wedding, he’d have to set her straight and then he’d be the one breaking her heart this time.

Emma placed her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, as they swayed back and forth. Killian rested his cheek against her soft hair, knowing he would never get to feel her this close again.

The song slowly ended and Killian reluctantly released his hold on Emma, but kept their hands interlocked. 

They returned to their table and took their spots beside Robin and Belle. They had no sooner sat down when they heard the clinking of a fork against a glass. Robin smirked as he tapped the glass repeatedly and then the guests joined in.

Emma smiled, as she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Killian’s lips. They both thought about deepening the kiss for a moment, but decided they had given their family and friends enough of a show the last two days.

They parted, but their hands remained joined beneath the table. A moment later, Belle stood up, her glass in her hand. 

“I would like to make a toast to my best friend and business partner,” she said, her eyes focused on Emma. “Emma, you are the strongest woman I know and I am so blessed to have you in my life. I am so happy that you found someone to spend the rest of your life with. I can see how happy Killian makes you and that is all I have ever wanted for you. I wish you all the best as you begin your lives together.”

Belle bent down and gave Emma a hug. Then she sat down and whispered in her ear. “So, are you ready to admit you fell for him yet?”

Emma chuckled softly. “Is it really that obvious?”

Belle nodded. “About as obvious as it is that he fell for you, too.” Belle smiled at Emma. “I meant every word of that speech. I know this wedding isn’t real, but I can see that the way you feel for each other is. You positively light up every time he’s near you. I am so happy for you, Emma.”

Emma felt tears welling up in her eyes. “Thank you, Belle.”

Killian leaned forward, noticing the tear slip down Emma’s cheek. 

“What’s the matter, love? Are you okay?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Emma nodded. “I’m fine. I’m just really happy right now.”

Killian managed a smile.

The reception went on and soon it was time to cut the cake. 

Emma threw Killian a warning look as they approached it. “Don’t even think about smashing that cake in my face.”

“Emma, I wouldn’t dream of marring the beautiful face of my bride.”

Emma eyed him suspiciously as they cut the cake together. True to his word, he carefully placed the cake into her mouth. When it was Emma’s turn, she brought the cake up to his mouth and then her eyes sparkled mischievously as she smashed it into his face. Killian’s eyes widened for a moment, but then he started laughing along with Emma and their guests.

She reached her finger up and dragged it along his jaw, then popped it into her mouth. “Hmmm, you’re delicious.”

“You have no idea,” he said, as he reached out and wrapped his arms around her.

He pulled her to him, crashing his lips into hers and initiating a kiss between them for the first time. Emma giggled as the frosting tickled her lips, but she had to admit he tasted damn good.

When they parted, he reached up and caressed her face, as he stared at her lovingly. He used his thumb to slowly wipe the frosting from her lips. 

Without warning, he felt his own tears build in his eyes. The wedding was nearly over. He realized that would probably be the last time he ever kissed her.

Emma noticed the emotion overtake him and reached up to cup his face, her thumb stroking his cheek. “Hey, are you okay?”

He nodded, as he swallowed around the lump in his throat. “You aren’t the only one who’s happy, you know.”

Emma smiled at him, as her parents suddenly appeared by their side.

“Emma, this has been the most wonderful day,” her mother said.

Her father nodded. “It couldn’t have been any better.”

Emma hugged her parents and then bobbed her head. “I have you two to thank for that, especially you, Mom. You pulled all of this together in just a few weeks and you made it so special. Thank you.”

Mary Margaret smiled. “I’m just so glad you found someone to make you happy, Emma.”

David looked at Killian. “I trust that you’ll take care of my little girl. She gave her heart to you and that is the greatest gift.”

Killian felt his throat begin to burn, as David extended his hand. Killian slipped his into it and nodded. 

….

 

~A man unwilling to fight for what he wants, deserves what he gets.~

 

After the wedding ended, Killian and Emma made their way up to her childhood bedroom hand-in-hand. Her parents had wanted to give them a honeymoon to Paris, but Emma felt too guilty to accept anything more from them. Although spending time with Killian in the most romantic city in the world was very hard to resist.

Emma made an excuse that Killian had to get back to work in Manhattan the following morning so they would have to wait a few months to take their honeymoon. Her mother had then insisted they spend their wedding night there. Unable to come up with another excuse quickly, Emma had agreed. 

At the time, she knew their fake marriage wasn’t to be consummated, so she figured it didn’t really matter. She’d sleep on the bed and Killian could sleep on the couch in her large former bedroom. 

But now things had changed between them and she wondered if something more could happen between them that night. 

She closed the door behind her and met Killian’s eyes, as she bit at her lower lip. His eyes scanned her room and he chuckled softly.

“Nice Justin Timberlake posters,” he said, gesturing to those that lined her walls.

Emma laughed. “My parents haven’t really changed my room since I moved out.”

The lighthearted moment slowly turned into an awkward silence. Emma moved toward him, closing the distance between them. Their eyes met and she slowly began to lift her lips to his, but his hand on her cheek stopped her.

“Emma, we need to talk.”

Emma laughed nervously. “Uh oh, don’t tell me the honeymoon is over already.”

Emma waited for him to laugh too, but his expression remained serious. Her laugh slowly subsided.

“What is it, Killian?”

He licked at his lips anxiously before beginning. “This thing between us…to say it caught me off-guard would be a massive understatement.”

Emma nodded. “Me too. Killian, you’re the biggest surprise of my life.”

“Emma.”

She shook her head. “No, please, I need to say this. After Neal broke my heart, I swore off relationships for good. I wasn’t about to risk my heart being broken again. And then you came along and you turned out to be everything I was sure you weren’t when we first met. You were funny and smart and caring and supportive. Somehow, someway, you opened my heart to love again, Killian. I fell in love with you.”

Killian furiously blinked back tears. She wasn’t making this any easier. 

“And I you,” he whispered. “The truth is, I swore off love too after Milah broke my heart. And then I met you. You were like a breath of fresh air. There aren’t many women that I can’t instantly charm, but you were different. You challenged me and you woke up parts of myself that I thought were dead.”

Emma took his hands in hers. “Killian, we pretended for so long and then it suddenly became real. Now, we don’t have to pretend anymore. I don’t have to feel guilty for lying to my parents anymore.”

Killian shook his head. “Love, it’s not that simple.”

“Of course, it is. We don’t even have to avoid my parents now. We don’t have to pretend to get divorced in a couple of months. I can collect my trust fund and my parents never have to know about our ruse. We can just be together and see where this takes us. And if one day we decide to truly get married, then we can do it just the two of us.”

“Emma, you haven’t thought this through.”

Emma felt her heart begin to beat faster. She became alarmed by the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice. He pulled back and broke contact with her.

“Killian, what are you talking about?”

He swallowed hard and whispered. “Emma, we can never really be together.”

Emma felt like she’d been punched in the gut. 

She shook her head back and forth. “What are you talking about? Of course we can.”

“You’ve forgotten that your parents don’t know who I really am. They believe I’m a stockbroker whose parents work for the Queen.”

Emma nodded, as she breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, I see your point. If we’re going to make this work, then my parents have to learn of our ruse eventually and find out your true identity. We’ll just have to give it a bit of time so I can be sure that my trust fund won’t be revoked. Then we’ll tell them the truth.”

“They’ll be furious with you.”

“I’m sure they will, but in time, they’ll forgive me. All they really want is for me to be happy and they’ll see that I finally am because of you.”

Killian shook his head. “They may be able to forgive your deception, Emma, but they’ll never be able to accept the true Killian Jones.”

Emma’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean? They already love you, Killian.”

“They don’t know me. They don’t know that I was raised poor by a single mother. They don’t know I’m a thief.”

“Those things don’t matter. You’ve shown them the real you. You’ve shown them how caring and supportive you are. That wasn’t pretend.”

Killian sighed heavily. “Emma, you told me yourself that your parents swore they would never allow you to be with a man who didn’t descend from good breeding. I’m about as far away from that as you can get. And when they learn I’m a thief, they’re going to believe I only want you for your money. They’ll never accept me.”

Emma shook her head. “I know that’s not true and I’ll make them see it too. They were just trying to protect me. But who I am with is my choice. And I choose you, Killian.”

He moved his gaze to the ground. “Emma.”

“I love you,” she whispered, her voice now quivering. 

“I love you, too,” he replied softly, as he forced himself to meet her eyes. “But it’s not enough.”

Emma sucked in a breath and shook her head back and forth furiously, as she began to feel desperate. “Listen to me, please. If my parents can’t accept you, if they can’t accept us, then that’s their problem.”

Killian shook his head sharply. “No, I can’t come between you and your parents. You’ll resent me, Emma. Perhaps not now, but one day, you will look at me and you’ll realize I’m the reason you have no relationship with them and you will resent me. And that will be the beginning of the end for us. We won’t be able to survive it. It’s better to end things right now before they go too far and get too painful.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “Go too far? I just told you I love you, Killian! And you said it back! Things have already gone too far. And do you want to talk about pain? I opened myself up to you. I let myself trust you. If you do this to me now, my heart won’t recover this time.”

Killian squeezed his eyes closed, the pain in her own eyes too much to bear. “I am trying to do the right thing.”

“Look at me,” she said in a harsh whisper. “Open your damn eyes and look at me.” He met her gaze, as her voice emerged shakily, “Was it all a lie? Did you ever have real feelings for me? Or was I just your Get Out of Jail Free card? Now that you got what you wanted you don’t need me anymore.”

Killian’s mouth dropped open and he shook his head. “No, Emma, that’s not what this is about. I didn’t use you. My feelings for you are true.”

Emma laughed bitterly, as she roughly wiped at the tears cascading down her cheeks with her knuckles. “I was actually hoping you’d say I was right. I think it would actually hurt less. I could lump you in with Neal as another man who never loved me, who took what he wanted, and then threw me aside. You see, it’s easy to hurt someone you don’t really love. But you say your feelings are true. You say they’re real and, yet, you’re choosing to stomp all over my heart anyway. You love me and you’re choosing to cause me pain. That hurts far more than anything Neal could have ever done to me.”

Killian felt like she’d stabbed him in the heart. It was killing him to hurt her like this. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and hold her tight. He wanted to make her understand, but everything he said made it worse. 

He sucked in a ragged breath. “Do you think this is easy for me, Emma? You don’t think I want to be with you more than anything in this world? Because I do. I’d give everything up to be with you, but it won’t change who I am. Whether you believe it or not, I am trying to protect you. That’s what love is. You put the other person first, you sacrifice for them. I won’t be the reason you lose your family. I can’t be. I lost my mother, father, and brother. I know what it feels like to be alone. I have no one, Emma, and I won’t let that happen to you, too.”

Emma tightened her jaw, as she replied in a sharp whisper. “You’re wrong, Killian. You weren’t alone anymore. You had me.” She paused and then added. “And one day you’re going to realize you just made the biggest mistake of your life, but it’s going to be too late.”

With that, she turned away from him and headed into her bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. 

“Emma!” he called after her, but was met with silence. 

Emma pressed herself against the door and slowly slid down to the ground. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on the skirt of her wedding dress, as she cried. 

She wondered how the best day of her life had turned into the worst.

…

~There’s not a day that will go by that I won’t think of you.~

 

Emma emerged from the bathroom more than an hour later. She waited until she thought he was asleep. Killian had closed his eyes when he heard the door open and pretended to be asleep on the couch. 

They had both proceeded to lie awake staring at the ceiling for hours, sleep only coming from sheer exhaustion. Emma woke first and got ready. When she came out of the bathroom and found him awake, she didn’t say a word to him. He went about getting ready and found her sitting on the bed when he came out of the bathroom.

She headed toward the door in silence, her hand on the knob when his voice stopped her.

“Emma, please. We need to talk.”

She spun around to face him.

“I think everything there was to say was said last night, don’t you?” she replied sharply.

“I don’t want things to end like this between us.”

“Really? You could’ve fooled me.”

Killian thought they would go back to the original plan. He would disappear from her life now that he had fulfilled his end of the deal. But as he lay awake all night, the mere thought of never seeing Emma again tore him apart.

“I…I don’t want to lose you. I still want you in my life, Emma. I can’t imagine never seeing you again. I hope we can remain friends.”

Emma laughed bitterly. “Did you really just give me the ‘I want to stay friends’ speech? Seriously? I can’t even look at you without feeling pain. Like physical pain. I can’t see you again after this, Killian. I have to find a way to move on and I won’t be able to do that if you stay in my life. We’re going to go say goodbye to my parents and then I never want to see you again.”

Killian felt the air leave his lungs. He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. Emma opened the door and walked out into the hall. He stood rooted to his spot for a long moment, but then slowly followed her. She stopped at the top of the stairs and held her hand out to him.

“Take my hand,” she ordered.

“What?” he asked, surprised that she’d want to have any physical contact with him.

“Take my hand,” she repeated through gritted teeth. “We’re supposed to be newlyweds. We need to act like it for a few more minutes.”

Killian nodded and slipped his hand into hers, savoring the feel of her one last time. They descended the stairs and were promptly met with her parents standing in the foyer.

Mary Margaret smiled. “How are the newlyweds?”

Emma plastered on a smile. “Great.”

“Wonderful,” Killian added, his eyes rooted to the floor.

David nodded. “Good to hear. Marriage seems to agree with you both.”

Emma moved to hug her parents. “Well, we have to be going. Killian has to get back to work in Manhattan. ”

Mary Margaret shook her head. “Actually, there are a few things we need to discuss.”

Emma took a deep breath. She had been waiting for her mother to bring up the trust fund. She didn’t want to broach the subject for fear of arousing suspicion.

“Emma, as you know, you will be turning 30 in two days,” Mary Margaret began. “Your grandmother set-up your trust fund so that you could claim it on your 30th birthday, providing you were married by then.”

David smiled, as he patted Killian on the back. “So looks like you two found each other in the nick of time.”

Killian nodded. “Aye, that we did.”

Emma shrugged nonchalantly. “Oh, I had completely forgotten about that clause, Mom.”

Mary Margaret chewed on her lip nervously. “Well, I’m afraid there were some stipulations associated with that clause that must also be met.”

Emma’s heart started to beat faster. “What kind of stipulations?”

David sighed. “The clause states that if marriage occurs less than six months prior to your 30th birthday, then you can only receive $100,000 immediately.”

Emma’s eyes widened and she met Killian’s gaze. “The trust fund is $5 million.”

Mary Margaret nodded. “That is correct. The clause stipulates that you will receive the rest of the money when you have been married six months.”

Emma’s mouth hung open in shock and Killian’s expression mirrored hers. He recovered first. “So after six months, Emma will receive the full $5 million.” He paused and then asked. “Hypothetically, what would happen if the marriage did not last six months?”

David shrugged. “Well, I know we don’t need to worry about that, but the balance would revert to her dog, Dot.”

Emma shook her head. “This is ridiculous. That money is legally mine. I shouldn’t have to follow the ridiculous stipulations of a dead old woman.”

Mary Margaret sighed. “I know, dear, but my hands are tied. We must abide by the rules set forth in the trust fund. I think your grandmother wanted to be certain that you wouldn’t just marry in order to receive the money and then terminate the marriage. I know you would never do anything like that. The mere thought is ludicrous, but you know how your grandmother was.”

Emma lowered her eyes to the ground, the guilt building up in her again at her mother’s faith in her. 

She took a deep breath and tried to collect her thoughts. The $100,000 would be enough to save her business. That wasn’t the issue. The issue was having to pretend for another six months, especially considering what had just transpired between her and Killian. 

She decided then that she and Killian would go their separate ways and only come together when necessary. She doubted that her grandmother had arranged for someone to check up on them to be sure they were living together. 

Emma threw her hands up. “Fine. Whatever.”

Mary Margaret smiled and hugged her. “None of this matters anyway. You and Killian are going to have the best six months together as husband and wife and then you’ll get the rest of your money.”

Emma nodded, said goodbye, then took Killian’s hand in hers again as they left. Once outside, she freed her hand from his and marched to her car. He followed her and they sat in silence for a few long moments. 

He finally broke it. “How do you wish to proceed? I realize you never want to see me again so…”

His voice trailed off. Emma stared straight ahead at the windshield, as she replied. “My parents already think you’ll be spending most of your time in Manhattan until you move here, so they won’t question if you’re not around. If absolutely necessary, I will contact you so that you can put in an appearance. Then, six months from now, this will all be over. We’ll be over…for good.”

He swallowed hard. “I’ll be there for you for whatever you need, Emma. I hope you know that, love.”

“Don’t call me that,” she whispered, as she blinked back tears.

Killian sighed heavily, as she started the car. They drove the entire 15 minute trip to his apartment in silence. Emma stopped the car when they arrived in front of his apartment building.

He turned to her before getting out. “Goodbye, Emma,” he said softly.

Emma didn’t reply or turn to face him. He looked at her one last time, trying to memorize every inch of her face. He had no idea when he’d see her again. 

She waited until he had gotten out of the car before she turned to look at his figure walking up the stairs into his building. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she wondered when she’d lay eyes on him again. 

…  
End of Part 6  
Please don’t hate me! Thanks for reading! ~Steph


	7. Part 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Thanks for your responses to the last part and for reading! Hope you enjoy this part! -Steph

…Accidentally in Love: Part 7/12...

 

~Look out for yourself and you’ll never get hurt.~

 

The next morning, Belle practically attacked Emma when she walked in the door.

“Tell me everything. What happened when you went up to your room after the reception?” she asked excitedly.

Emma walked past her and went behind the counter.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Belle frowned. “I don’t understand. I thought things had changed between you two.”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it,” she replied sharply, as she took a rag out and began to wipe down the counter. 

As Emma cleaned, she saw something sparkle in the corner of her eye and realized it was her engagement and wedding rings. She wanted to take them off. They were nothing but a painful reminder of him, but she knew that she could see her parents at any moment and then she would be forced to explain the absence of the rings.

Belle stood in front of her, trying in vain to remain silent, but failing. “Emma, please talk to me.”

Emma sighed and threw the rag down on the counter. 

“It’s over,” she said simply.

“What do you mean it’s over?”

“I told him I love him and he told me he loves me.”

Belle smiled. “I knew it.” Her smile faded quickly. “Then what happened?”

“He said we can’t be together.”

“Why?” Belle asked, with a confused shake of her head.

Emma squeezed her eyes closed for a long moment. “He said that my parents will never accept the real him because of his family background and the fact that he’s a thief. He said he didn’t want to ruin my relationship with them, so we can’t be together.”

Belle reached out and placed her hand over her best friend’s. “Emma, I am so sorry. What did you say to him?”

“I told him I didn’t care about any of that. I told him I knew the real him and that I could make my parents accept him, but he wouldn’t budge. I even told him that if they couldn’t accept him, that I would still choose him, but he refused to change his mind.”

Belle sighed heavily. “I think he was just trying to do the right thing.”

Emma glared at her. “You’re taking his side?”

“Of course not, but I understand his point of view. He was trying to protect your relationship with your parents.”

“That’s not up to him. He broke my heart, Belle. You know how hard it was for me to open myself up to love again, to trust again. And I made the same mistake yet again. I trusted the wrong man.”

Belle shook her head. “That’s not fair, Emma, and you know it. Killian is not the same as Neal. He loves you and he did what he did for you.”

Emma shrugged. “It doesn’t matter why he did it. The end result is the same. We’ll never be together.” She paused and then added. “But the silver lining is after tomorrow I can claim some of the money from my trust fund.”

“Some?”

Emma nodded. “Yes, my grandmother put in a ridiculous clause that states if I marry less than six months prior to my 30th birthday, then I only receive $100,000 immediately. If I remain married six months, then I’ll receive the rest.”

Belle bobbed her head. “Well, at least you’ll get enough money to save our business.”

“But I have to pretend to be married to Killian for six months. I had already told him I never wanted to see him again.”

“Emma.”

“What?” she snapped. “It’s too painful.”

“So what are you going to do then?”

“If my parents require his presence at something, then I will contact him. Other than that, it’s as if Killian Jones no longer exists to me.”

“You don’t mean that.”

She swallowed hard and whispered, “I do. I wish I had never met him.”

Belle opened her mouth to say something in response, but Emma turned on her heel and headed into the kitchen.

…

~I needed to see you one more time.~

It was her birthday. That was the first thing that came into Killian’s mind when he woke up the following day. He wanted nothing more than to celebrate it with her. In a perfect world, he would get his wish. But he learned long ago that wishes never come true.

Still, he couldn’t let the day pass without acknowledging it. He had thought of the perfect birthday gift and spent all day yesterday searching for it. He was so excited when he finally found it. 

That morning, Killian had wrapped it carefully and written out the card. He then set out for the bookstore. He took a deep breath before entering. Belle stood at the counter, but Emma was nowhere in sight. 

When Belle saw him, her expression immediately hardened. 

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I have a birthday gift for Emma.”

“She doesn’t want to see you.”

“I know,” he said softly.

“You broke her heart, Killian,” she said.

He shook his head. “I never wanted to hurt her.”

“But you did. And nothing you say or do can fix that.”

Killian placed the gift on the counter. “I realize this won’t fix anything, but I wanted her to know I was thinking of her on her birthday.”

“She’s not here,” Belle said. “She went to meet a seller.”

“Will you give it to her for me?”

Belle chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. “No.”

“No?” he repeated, his eyes widening.

“Give it to her yourself.”

Killian’s brow furrowed. “I’m confused. You just said she’s not here and she doesn’t wish to see me.”

“She needs to see you, Killian. Today of all days, she needs to see you.”

“When is she returning?”

Belle shook her head, grabbed a pen and pad, scribbled something down, tore off the sheet of paper, and handed it to him.

“Here’s her address. I know she never gave it to you. I wouldn’t let her in case you turned out to be an ax murderer. She’ll be home by 6. She refused to go out for her birthday, so you’ll find her there.”

“Are you sure this is alright?”

Belle shook her head. “No. She’ll probably kill me for doing it, but it’s what she needs. Emma is smart and strong and kind, but she’s also very stubborn. And she’d never admit that she wants to see you today, but I know she does.”

“Thank you.”

Killian picked up the gift and made a move to leave, but Belle’s voice stopped him.

“I think you need to ask yourself if you made the right decision, Killian. You’re giving up the best thing to ever happen to you and there’s no going back. You better be sure you’re doing the right thing and you better be certain of your reasons for doing it.”

Killian stared at her for a long moment, then left without a word.

 

Emma returned home a few minutes before 6. She had bought herself a cupcake and put a candle in it. She sat down at her kitchen table and lit the candle. Then she squeezed her eyes closed, made a wish, and blew out the candle. A moment later, she heard a knock at the door.

Emma rolled her eyes and groaned. She knew Belle would insist on doing something for her birthday.

“Belle, I told you-…” she stopped, when she opened the door and found Killian standing behind it.

“Killian?”

He smiled. “Happy Birthday, Emma.”

“What are you doing here? How did you even know where I live?”

“Belle told me. Please don’t be angry with her.”

Emma’s eyes narrowed at him. “You really need to stop telling me what to do and how to feel.”

“Can I come in?” he asked.

“No,” she replied.

Killian sighed and held the gift out to her. “I wanted to give this to you. I came by the bookstore earlier, but you weren’t there.”

“What part of ‘I don’t want to see you unless absolutely necessary’ didn’t you understand?”

“I wanted to see you on your birthday, Emma.”

“Why? So I know what it feels like to miss you on every birthday after this one?” she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

He licked at his lips. “I’m sorry I hurt you. These last two days have been absolute hell without you.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a pointed look. “They haven’t exactly been a walk in the park for me either.”

“I know seeing me is painful for you.”

“Yet here you are.”

He paused for a few long moments, the words slipping from his lips without him even realizing it. “Belle said something to me today that made me think.” 

“What did she say?” Emma asked, her brow arching. 

“She said I better be certain of my reasons for pushing you away.”

He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t get Belle’s words out of his mind. 

“Your reasons seemed pretty clear to me, however misguided they may be.”

He dropped his gaze and nodded. “You’re right. Never mind. Forget I said anything.”

He swallowed roughly and stuck his arm out again, handing her the gift. She stared at him, not reaching for it.

“That’s it? Killian, if you need to say something, then just say it,” she said.

“I have to go,” he replied, as he took her hand and placed the gift in it.

“Killian.”

He shook his head. “No, I’m sorry, I have to go. Happy Birthday, Emma.”

With that, he turned on his heel and took off down the hall. Emma sighed heavily, as she closed the door. She went back into the kitchen and sat down at the table. She placed the gift next to her cupcake. 

Emma wanted nothing more than to see him, especially on her birthday. But she had been right about having him in her life. Seeing him just made it hurt that much more.

She stared at the gift for a few long moments, before slowly removing the ribbon and the card. She opened the card and smiled at his writing.

Dear Emma,

I wish I could celebrate your birthday with you. I want you to know that you’ve changed my life. I want to be a better man, Emma. I am going to find a job, an honest job. I know it won’t change things. I know your parents still won’t accept me, but I need to do it. Before you, I never had anyone see me as more than a thief, Emma. You gave me the courage to try to be more. For that, I will be forever grateful to you.  
I wanted to get you the perfect gift. I wanted to get you something to remember me by. I hope every time you look at it, you will think of me and one day it will bring a smile to your face, instead of tears. Happy Birthday, love.

Love always,  
Killian

 

Emma didn’t even realize she was crying until she saw a tear hit the card and blur the words on it. She took a deep breath, as she unwrapped the gift, revealing a box. She slowly lifted the top off the box and gasped at what lay inside.

It was a rare first edition of To Kill a Mockingbird. She had been looking for one for years. She lifted the cover, her fingertips running over the words he had inscribed inside.

To Emma,   
No matter what happens, we will always have our favorite book in common. When I was a young lad, I used to read this book whenever I felt sad because it gave me comfort and hope. I hope it can give you the same. 

Love always,  
Killian

P.S. Don’t worry, I didn’t steal it. 

 

Emma chuckled softly at the last part. She took the book to the couch and sat down on it. She spent the rest of her birthday reading it for the 10th time. 

When she finished, she sighed contently. In her opinion, it was the best book ever written. Even after reading it so many times, she never got bored with it and always found some new meaning.

Something occurred to Emma as she sat there pondering the book. Her brow furrowed and she began to flip through the pages. She found chapter 3 and thumbed through it quickly. She ran her finger down the page, searching for those poignant words Atticus Finch had said to his daughter, Scout. She smiled, as she came upon them. 

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

Realization washed over her. She glanced at the clock on her mantle. It was after midnight. She didn’t care, as she slipped on her shoes and grabbed her jacket. She was out the door in less than a minute, the book in her hand.

…

~I can’t lose you too.~

Killian bolted up in bed, the knocking at the door waking him. He rubbed at his eyes with his fists, as he ambled to the door and threw it open.

His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Emma, the sleep now totally gone from them.

“Emma? What are you doing here?”

“You’re scared,” she stated simply.

“What?”

“You’re scared,” she repeated. “Maybe you convinced yourself that pushing me away was only about my parents not accepting you, but that’s not the only reason you did it. Is it?”

Killian lowered his gaze. 

“Emma, I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say a thing. I know I’m right. It came to me after I finished reading the book you gave me. That quote from Atticus: ‘You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . .”

“‘Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it’,” he finished for her.

“You remember the quote?” she asked.

He bobbed his head. “It’s one of my favorites from the book. However, I fail to see how it relates to me.” 

“I wasn’t looking at the situation from your point of view before, but I am now,” she said.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“You said you know how it feels to be alone and you didn’t want me to end up like that. You’ve lost everyone you’ve ever loved, Killian, everyone who’s ever claimed to love you. Your mother, your father, your brother, Milah. And now you’re scared that if you let yourself love me, then you’ll lose me too. So you decided it would be less painful to just end things now.”

Killian’s mouth hung open. She was right. He hadn’t even fully realized it himself until right then. He thought he was protecting her, but he was also protecting himself.

Emma stepped forward and took his hands in hers. “It’s okay to be scared, Killian. What’s not okay is letting your fear control you. I let it control me for a long time and all it got me was loneliness and an unhappy life. I won’t do it anymore. Love is worth the risk. We’re worth the risk.”

He shook his head. “Emma, I’m sorry. But I don’t deserve you. And you’re going to wake up one day and realize that. Perhaps your parents will finally convince you of that. Or perhaps I’ll fail you and prove it all on my own. Either way, I know how the story ends this time. There is no happily ever after for us.”

“No,” she said firmly. “Listen to me. You wrote in my card that I changed your life. You said I made you want to be a better man. You said you were going to find an honest job. Did you mean all of that?”

He nodded. “Every word.”

Emma smiled. “Well, then you’re the man I’ve been waiting all my life for, Killian, and I didn’t even know it. You want to be the best man you can be for me. What more can I ask for?”

Killian wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless, but he couldn’t bring himself to. His fear was holding him back. 

“Emma, I wish things were different.”

Emma swallowed hard, as she blinked back tears. “I bought myself a birthday cupcake with one candle. And when I blew it out, I made a wish. Do you know what I wished for?”

“Emma.”

“You,” she said softly. “I wished for you. And do you know what happened a moment later? You showed up at my door. If that’s not a sign, then I don’t know what is.”

Killian was speechless. It wasn’t often that he was at a loss for words. 

Emma smiled gently at him. “When you’re ready, I’ll be waiting for you, Killian. I’m not giving up on you. I’ll never give up on us.” 

She took a step forward and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips. She pulled back and then whispered in his ear. “Thank you for the book. It’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten. I’ll think of you every time I look at it.”

With that, she turned and left him standing in the doorway, his fingers upon his lips. 

…  
End of Part 7  
Thanks for reading and please let me know what you thought! ~Steph


	8. Part 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Thanks for your responses to the last part and for reading! Hope you enjoy this part! -Steph

…Accidentally in Love: Part 8/12...

 

~Be patient.~

 

Three months passed after that night and they were the worst of Emma’s life. She couldn’t stop thinking about Killian. She tried throwing herself into work, but that actually made things even worse. It was where they first met, so everywhere she looked she saw him. Every time the bell sounded on the door when a customer came in, her head whipped in its direction, hoping it was him.

This morning, Emma was putting out muffins and Belle was organizing a new batch of books, when the bell rang on the door. Emma’s head sprang up at the sound and her eyes darted hopefully to the door. Belle watched her face fall as a woman walked through the door.

With a heavy sigh, Belle walked over to her best friend. “You know, one of these days you’re going to give yourself whiplash.”

Emma stared at her for a long moment. “What?”

Belle gestured to the door. “Every time you hear that door open, your head goes flying in that direction, hoping it’s him.”

“That’s not true,” she said, lowering her gaze.

“You’ve been doing it for three months now, Emma. My neck’s starting to hurt just watching you.” She paused and then added. “Go see him.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

She met her eyes. “He needs time. He needs to work through this on his own. I don’t want to push him.”

“Sometimes people need a little push.”

She shook her head. “I let him know I’d be waiting when he’s ready.” 

“What if he’s never ready?” Belle asked.

Emma swallowed hard, but was saved from responding by her cell phone ringing. It was her mother.

“Hi, Mom,” she said.

“Hello, dear. As you know, your father and I are celebrating our 35th anniversary on Friday. We wanted to keep things very low-key. We were hoping you and Killian could join us for dinner. We haven’t seen him since the wedding.”

Emma sucked in a breath. Up until now, she had managed to make excuses for Killian not being with her when she visited them. She thought about calling him a thousand times and she knew he would come to see her parents anytime she asked, but she didn’t want him to think she was pressuring him. She didn’t see any way out this time though.

“Okay, Mom. Sure, we’ll be there.”

“Wonderful. We’ll see you at 6:30 then.”

“See you then,” Emma said and hung up.

With a heavy sigh, she looked at Belle. Her best friend smiled. “Now you have to see him.”

Emma took a deep breath and pressed a button on her phone to call him. He picked up on the second ring, his voice filled with surprise.

“Emma?”

“Hi, Killian. How are you?”

“I’ve been better,” he said. “How are you, love?”

Emma smiled at his use of the word ‘love’. She had missed hearing him call her that. She had missed hearing his voice. She’d missed everything about him.

“Same,” she replied. “Listen, I need you.”

Emma hoped the simple words conveyed more than her need for him to fulfill his obligation to her.

“What do you need?”

“It’s my parents’ 35th anniversary on Friday and they want us to come over for dinner. I’ve already made excuses a-…”

“I’ll be there,” he said, cutting her off.

Emma couldn’t help the smile that curled her lips at the thought of seeing him again.

“Great. Thank you. Meet me at the bookstore at 6:15.”

“I’ll see you then,” he said.

He was about to hang up, when her voice stopped him.

“Killian?”

“Yes, love?”

“It was really good to hear your voice.”

A smile appeared on his lips. “It was really good hearing yours as well, Emma.”

“Bye,” she whispered.

“Goodbye,” he said, hanging up the phone.

Killian stared at his phone long after he’d hung up. He had a picture of Emma on his lock screen. It was one he had managed to snap on their faux wedding day. She was talking with Belle and laughing, her head thrown back. She looked so happy and beautiful. That was always how he wanted to remember her.

“You okay, mate?” came Robin’s voice.

“What?”

Robin gestured to his empty glass. “I’ve been calling your name for a few minutes. Fill me up.”

Killian reached for the glass and filled it with Scotch. He’d been working at the bar for the last two and a half months. He knew it wasn’t much, but it was honest work and it paid the bills.

“Was that her?” Robin asked, as he took a swig of his drink.

“Who?” Killian asked, wiping down the bar. 

He desperately tried to ignore the glistening of his wedding ring as he cleaned.

Robin rolled his eyes. “The Queen Mother. Who do you think? Emma, of course.”

Killian slowly bobbed his head. “Aye, it was Emma. She needs me to go to her parents for their anniversary dinner.”

“That’s great.”

Killian shook his head. “No, it’s not.”

“Mate, you’ve been missing that lass like mad. You’ve been moping around for three months. You’re starting to depress me.”

Killian offered him a scathing smile. “My apologies for depressing you with my pathetic love life.”

Robin shrugged. “Apology accepted. Now what are you going to do when you see her?”

Killian’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“You told me she wasn’t giving up on you. She’s been waiting three months, Killian. What are you going to tell her?”

He sighed heavily. “I don’t know.”

Robin groaned. “Do you love this lass or not?”

Killian bobbed his head firmly. “Of course I do. More than you could ever know.”

“Then go to her. Tell her that and be with her.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“It bloody well is. You’re the one complicating matters.”

Killian felt his jaw tighten. “Why don’t you mind your own business?”

Robin shrugged his shoulders. “Fine, but Emma won’t wait forever. She’s a smart, tough, beautiful, and soon-to-be rich woman. By the time you’re done being afraid, some other guy is going to come by and snatch her up. And then you’ll spend the rest of your life regretting the choice you made.”

With that, Robin downed the rest of his drink, threw a few bills on the bar, and walked out.

Killian watched him leave, then returned his eyes to the picture of Emma on his phone.

…

~That's quite a lot of faith you're putting on me, Swan.~

 

Killian watched Emma through the window for a few minutes. He didn’t think it was possible, but she had somehow grown more beautiful over the past three months. She wore a black dress that looked like a second skin and her blonde tresses cascaded around her shoulders.

Killian took a deep breath, as he opened the door and stepped inside.

Emma’s head whipped up, her gaze landing on him. She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her lips at the sight of him. He was wearing the same suit he had worn the first time he met her parents and it made her heart skip a beat.

“Hello, love.”

She fought the urge to throw herself into his arms and forced herself to calmly walk over to him. 

“Hi, Killian.”

His eyes scanned her face for a long moment, before he leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek. Emma closed her eyes, relishing the feel of his touch that she had missed so much.

He pulled back and smiled. “Ready?”

She nodded and followed him outside. She began to head toward her car, but he touched her arm and gestured with his head.

“How about I drive for a change?”

Emma’s brow raised in surprise. He had gotten a new car. His old one looked like it was on its last leg the one time she saw it. The Ford Escape was a nice upgrade.

“How did you afford this?”

“Well, it’s a lease.” He paused and then added, “I got a job.”

Emma smiled. “You did? Doing what?”

Killian felt his face redden a bit. “I’m afraid it’s not much. Just bartending.”

Emma squeezed his arm. “I’m so proud of you, Killian. It’s an honest job and that’s all that matters.”

“I’m taking some classes during the day. I’m trying to get my GED. Perhaps take some college classes after. I haven’t a clue what I’d like to do though.”

Emma’s smile widened. “That’s amazing. You’ve been busy!”

His expression grew serious. “I’ve been trying to keep busy.”

Emma lowered her gaze and they fell into an awkward silence as they walked to his car and got in. The uncomfortable silence continued all the way to her parents. Killian stopped the car in front of the mansion and they both walked up to the door. Emma rang the bell. 

As they waited, she felt Killian’s hand slip into hers. She turned to look at him.

“We still have to make it look good, right?” he said.

Emma nodded. A moment later, her mother answered the door. She threw her arms around them both.

“Oh, it’s so good to see you two,” she said.

David appeared. “Ah, if it isn’t the elusive newlyweds.”

“David,” his wife scolded.

“Happy anniversary,” Emma said, as she hugged her father.

“Aye, happy anniversary. 35 years is quite impressive.”

Mary Margaret smiled, as she wrapped her arm around her husband’s waist. “Well, when you find the right person, even an eternity doesn’t seem long enough.”

Emma met Killian’s eyes, but he quickly averted his gaze. 

Mary Margaret gestured to the dining room. “Dinner is ready.”

They took their usual seats, as the appetizer was served. 

“So how’s married life?” David asked.

Emma managed a smile. “It’s wonderful.”

“We’re very happy,” Killian added.

Mary Margaret tilted her head at them, sensing something was off. “Are you sure? Is everything okay?”

Emma nodded. “Of course.”

“I do hope the terms of your trust fund hasn’t put undue pressure on your new union. I know the first year of marriage is the hardest. I am sure Killian being away so much hasn’t made things any easier,” Mary Margaret said.

David bobbed his head in agreement. “Yes, how is that working? You must miss each other very much.”

Emma turned to look at Killian. “You have no idea.”

Killian took a deep breath, as he moved his gaze from Emma to her father. “Being away from your daughter is, without a doubt, the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

Emma stared at him for a long moment, tears building in her eyes. She bowed her head and pushed her seat out to stand up. 

“Please excuse me,” she said.

She hurried to the bathroom and entered, moving to the sink. Emma blinked furiously to keep the tears at bay, as she looked at herself in the mirror. 

How had she gotten here? Four months ago, her only concern was saving her business. Now, she was hopelessly in love with a man she might never get to be with.

She knew it was him as soon as she heard the doorknob turn. She didn’t need to see his handsome face in the mirror for confirmation, but it was reassuring nonetheless.

“Are you okay, love?” he asked.

She spun around to face him and shook her head. “No, I’m not okay, Killian. I haven’t been okay for three months. You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”

“I think I have some idea,” he whispered.

She shook her head. “I have tried to be patient. I didn’t want to push you. I didn’t want to pressure you. But…I…I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”

“I’m sorry,” he said softly.

She looked him in the eyes. “Be honest with me. You’ve always been honest with me. Will you ever be ready? Or am I just wasting my time?”

Killian squeezed his eyes closed. He desperately wanted to tell her he would be, but the fear that he had been harboring for years, wasn’t easily overcome.

“I don’t know,” he replied truthfully.

Emma squeezed her eyes closed and nodded her head. “Well, I appreciate your honesty.”

Killian licked at his lips nervously. “I don’t expect you to wait for me, Emma. I would never ask you to do that. It’s not fair to you.”

Emma moved closer to him, her body pressing against his, as she placed a kiss to his lips. 

When they parted, she said, “I just want to be with you, Killian. And until you tell me there’s no chance of that, then I’ll keep waiting.”

“You have that much faith in me?”

Emma nodded. “And in us.”

Killian simply smiled, as she slipped her hand in his and they left the bathroom.

 

The rest of the evening continued without incident. Soon, it was time for them to say their goodbyes. Emma and Killian left the house and made the trip back to the bookstore, making small talk along the way. Killian pulled up in front of the bookstore. 

Emma hesitated before getting out. She turned to him. “Thank you for tonight.”

“Anytime, love.”

Emma leaned toward him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

“Goodnight, Killian,” she said, before getting out.

“Goodnight, Emma,” he replied.

She stood by the curb and watched him drive away until he disappeared from view.

…

~All it took was meeting the right person and everything changed. I’d go to the end of the world for her…or time.~ 

 

Killian woke up the next morning, Emma on his mind as usual. He grabbed his phone and looked at the picture of her, his finger tracing her face. He missed her every second of every day and seeing her last night just made him miss her that much more. 

He thought it would be less painful this way, but the ache he felt without her seemed to grow with each passing moment. And he knew she felt the same.

Killian took a deep breath and sat up in bed. He couldn’t go on like this. His choice was making them both miserable. If he searched the rest of his life, he would never find another woman who made him as he happy as she did. Maybe he wasn’t worthy of her and maybe he never would be, but she loved him and he loved her. Nothing else mattered. 

He had wasted so many years of his life running from love and now he’d wasted the last three months running away from the woman he loved. Emma had found a way to face her fear and take a chance on him. He needed to do the same because he knew one thing for sure. He couldn’t live one more day without Emma Swan. 

He looked at Emma’s picture one last time, a blissful smile on his lips for the first time in months. Then he quickly went about getting ready.

 

Thirty minutes later, he was standing in front of the bookstore again. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, before entering. Emma heard the bell and immediately turned her attention to the door. Their eyes met and she smiled. She opened her mouth to say something, but there was something different in his eyes and it stole her thoughts. Killian moved toward her without saying a word, his gaze never faltering. Belle watched the scene unfold, a book in her hand frozen in midair, not quite at its destination. 

Emma was glued to her spot, as Killian rounded the counter. Before she knew what was happening, his body was slamming into hers, his hands cupping her face. He crashed his lips into hers in a kiss that put the others they had shared to shame. She responded immediately, her hands gripping at the collar of his leather jacket to pull him closer. His hands slid from her face down her back and wrapped around her waist.

They finally parted, their foreheads still touching as they gasped for breath. He focused on her eyes.

“I love you,” he whispered.

Emma smiled, as tears appeared in her eyes. “I love you too.” She paused and then began cautiously, “Does this mean-…”

“I’m ready,” he replied softly.

Emma sighed happily, as she lifted her hand to caress his cheek. “So you’re not scared anymore?”

He chuckled nervously. “I’m still bloody scared, but I decided I wouldn’t let it control me anymore. I was miserable without you, Emma, and I know you felt the same. That’s no way to live. I don’t want to waste anymore time. You believe in me. You believe in us. I figured it’s my turn now.”

Emma kissed him again, then wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his shoulder. She met Belle’s eyes. She’d forgotten she was even there. Belle offered her a smile and then disappeared into the storage room.

Killian pulled back, as he brought his thumb up to brush away a tear from her cheek. 

“I’m so sorry I hurt you, love,” he said.

“It’s over, Killian. We’re together now. None of that matters.”

Killian smiled. “Emma, you changed my life. I don’t want to know what life is like without you ever again.”

Emma cupped his cheek. “You’ll never have to find out.”

He bobbed his head. “A few more months and then the truth can come out.”

Emma squeezed his hands in hers. “And we’ll deal with the fallout. Together.”

Killian nodded, as he pulled her into his arms. Nothing had ever felt so right before.

…  
End of Part 8  
Thanks for reading and please let me know what you thought! ~Steph


	9. Part 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Thanks for your responses to the last part and for reading! Hope you enjoy this part! -Steph

…Accidentally in Love: Part 9/12...

 

~It’s you.~

 

One week later, Emma sighed contentedly, as she settled between Killian’s legs on the sailboat and laid her head against his chest. He smiled, as he wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her temple.

“This is perfect,” he whispered in her ear.

Emma smiled and nodded, linking her fingers with his. “Even more perfect than the first time we came out here together.”

“You mean because this time I actually asked permission before using the sailboat?”

Emma shook her head, as she looked up at him. “No, because we can finally do this, as much and as often as we want. ”

She lifted her head and met his lips, snaking her free hand up to cup his head. 

He licked at his lips, as they parted. “Aye, I couldn’t agree more, love.” He paused, his voice softening. “I came out here often when we were apart.”

Emma arched her brow. “You did?”

“Aye. I thought it would help me feel closer to you, but it just made me miss you that much more.”

She nodded. “I used to go sit in the park with a pineapple and broccoli pizza for the same reason.”

He grinned. “But you loathe broccoli.”

“I do, but it reminded me of you. I didn’t eat that half, of course. But then I’d look at the pizza that was left and think how you should be sharing it with me and I’d miss you even more.”

Killian nodded and then let out a breath. “That’s all in the past now. A great many perfect days just like this one are ahead of us, love.”

“I can’t wait,” she said, as he pressed a kiss to her neck. 

“Although, for future perfect days, I would like to make one minor adjustment to that original perfect day,” he said.

“What’s that?” she asked

“No more seagulls defecating on my head from now on,” he replied.

Emma laughed and nodded. “See, even seagulls can’t resist you!”

Killian chuckled and wrapped his arms more tightly around her, as they watched the sun begin to set. 

 

Not long after, they made their way back to the dock and Killian tied the boat to the pier. They walked hand-in-hand back to her apartment building.

“Stay for dinner?” she asked.

He smiled, closing the distance between them and placing a kiss below her ear, as he whispered, “I’m not hungry, love. At least not for dinner.”

Emma felt her heart speed up. She didn’t say a word, as she took his hand and led him up the stairs. They had been waiting so long that they barely made it up to her apartment before they gave into their passion.

Emma managed to open the door and Killian quickly pinned her against it once they were inside, his lips moving down her chest.

Their clothes disappeared as they made their way into her bedroom. Killian picked Emma up and laid her down on the bed.

“You’re so beautiful, Emma,” he whispered, as he hovered above her. “I love you so much.”

Emma cupped his face and pulled his lips down to hers. “I love you too.”

The first time they made love, it was hurried and passionate. They couldn’t get enough of each other. The second time came later that night, but they took it slow, savoring each other and learning each other’s bodies.

Hours later, Emma finally collapsed on top of Killian, her head resting on his chest.

“That was…” she breathed.

“Words fail me too,” he said, his fingertips trailing down her back.

She propped her chin up on his chest and then leaned forward, placing a kiss on his lips. 

“So do you think we can add this to all future perfect days from now on?” she asked, with a smile.

Killian’s eyes sparkled with desire for her. “Aye, I propose adding this to every …single…day,” he said, punctuating each word with a kiss to her throat until he reached her lips. 

Emma laughed into his mouth, as he kissed her. 

 

~No one gets to decide who I am.~

 

Emma and Killian spent the next few weeks deliriously happy. They spent every free moment together. Tonight, they were meeting her parents at a restaurant for dinner. Killian had arrived a few minutes early at Emma’s apartment and was now distracting her from finishing her task of getting ready.

She giggled, as he trailed his lips down her neck while she tried to apply her lipstick.

“We’re going to be late if you don’t stop distracting me,” she said.

“Don’t care,” he muttered, as he swept her hair aside and kissed the nape of her neck. 

Emma closed her eyes and let out a low moan. She brought her hand up to the back of his head and gripped his hair. 

“I am going to look like a clown if you keep doing that while I’m trying to apply my lipstick.”

Killian removed his lips and wrapped his arms around her waist. Emma opened her eyes and looked at them in the mirror. She had never been happier in her life and she knew he felt the same. She smiled, wishing she could pause this perfect moment and live in it forever. 

He brought his hand up and gently brushed it across her cheek. “You, love, could never look anything short of ravishing.”

Emma turned around in his arms and snaked them around his neck. “Do you have any idea how happy you make me?”

He offered her a lopsided grin. “I could ask the same of you.”

Killian leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. When he pulled back, he saw that her expression had grown serious.

“What’s wrong, Emma?” he asked.

“I just wish we could be like this forever.”

“We can be.”

She shook her head. “No, in a couple of months, we’re going to have to deal with the consequences of our actions. My parents will be furious with us.”

He nodded, as he joined their hands. “And we’ll deal with it together. We make quite the team, remember? No matter what, nothing is going to get in the way of our happiness.”

Emma smiled at him. “I hope so.” She paused and placed her hands on his chest, gently pushing him away. “Now leave me alone so I can finish getting ready.”

He chuckled. “As you wish, milady.”

 

Fifteen minutes later, they left Emma’s apartment and drove the short distance to the restaurant. They entered the restaurant and quickly found her parents seated at a table.

“Well, look who it is. The fashionably late newlyweds,” her father said.

Emma gave her father a kiss on the cheek and hugged her mother. “Sorry, we’re late.” She looked at Killian. “I got a little distracted while getting ready.”

Mary Margaret grinned, as she placed her hand over David’s. “Oh, don’t you remember our newlywed days, David? We were late for everything that first year.”

Emma blushed, as Killian glanced over at her. “Well, can you blame me? Look at my gorgeous wife. How could I ever resist her?”

Emma smiled at his use of the word ‘wife’, as Killian reached over and linked their fingers.

They set about reading their menus and giving their orders to the waiter. They then moved to small talk. Distracted by their conversation, none of them noticed as a figure walked behind Mary Margaret’s chair, slipped his hand into her purse, and lifted her wallet out. He was just about to make his getaway when a voice stopped him.

“Robin?” came David’s voice.

Robin’s head shot up, as did those of the rest of the people at the table. His face reddened. He hadn’t even realized that he had stolen from Emma’s mother. His MO was to discreetly pass behind chairs and lift wallets from the purses of distracted women who had hung them on the back of their chairs. He made it a point not to make eye contact with anyone so they could never identify him. He hadn’t even seen Emma, Killian, or her parents.

He had the wallet in his hand, as Mary Margaret’s eyes widened at him.

“Is that my wallet?” she asked.

He glanced down at it. “Oh, this? Yes, I just found it on the floor. I picked it up to return it to you.”

Killian felt his jaw tighten as he looked from Emma to Robin.

David shook his head. “No, I saw you. You never bent down. You were stealing my wife’s wallet.”

“That’s bloody ridiculous,” he said with a nervous laugh.

Mary Margaret snatched her wallet from his grip, understanding dawning on her. “You’re not an astronaut, are you? You’re a thief!”

He shrugged in defeat. “I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid. I even went to space camp, if that counts for anything.”

Emma took a deep breath but remained silent. David’s face reddened with anger. “I knew that story you told about going to space sounded like the plot from Apollo 13!”

Robin nodded. “My favorite movie. Tom Hanks is fantastic, isn’t he? A real American treasure.”

Mary Margaret whipped her head in Emma and Killian’s direction and then back to Robin. “Does Killian know you’re a thief?”

Killian opened his mouth to speak, but Robin beat him to it with a chuckle. “Does he know? How do you think we met?”

Killian swallowed hard and Emma felt herself begin to sweat. 

Robin realized his mistake right away and tried to cover it up. “What I meant is…I met Killian when I stole from him. I didn’t mean he’s a thief. That would be bloody ridiculous.”

David’s jaw tightened as he looked at Killian. “You knew, didn’t you? Because you’re a thief too. Aren’t you?”

Killian looked at Emma and she shook her head. “That’s ludicrous, Dad.”

“Is it?” Mary Margaret asked. “Because now that I think about it, he didn’t seem to know much about being a stockbroker. Emma, you played it off like he was joking, but he wasn’t, was he?”

David went on. “And his parents certainly didn’t behave like people who work for the Queen.”

Killian sighed and met Emma’s eyes. “It’s time for the truth, love.”

“Killian.”

“Yes,” he said with a nod. “I am a thief.”

David and Mary Margaret gasped at his admission. 

“You fell in love with and married a thief, Emma?” Mary Margaret asked in horror.

Emma realized she could still salvage her plan. Her parents still seemed to believe the marriage was real. She could still get the balance of her trust fund.

Emma nodded and tightened her grip on Killian’s hand. “Yes, I did. I fell in love with a thief and I don’t regret it for a moment.”

Robin used the distraction to slip away unnoticed. 

“Emma!” David scolded. “How could you lie to us like that?”

“How?” Emma asked, her guilt giving way to anger. “You made it very clear after Neal that I could never be with anyone who wasn’t from a wealthy family with good breeding.”

“We were trying to protect you,” Mary Margaret said. “We didn’t want you to be taken advantage again, used for your money.”

David gestured at Killian. “Why do you think he married you, Emma? He knew you were about to become a very rich woman.”

Killian gritted his teeth together. “I don’t care about her bloody money. I fell in love with Emma because she’s an amazing woman and she loves me for who I truly am.”

“And who is that exactly?” David asked bitingly. 

Emma sighed heavily. “Killian was born into a poor family. His father abandoned him, his brother, and mother when he was a child. His mother raised him alone until she died. Killian and his brother were sent to foster care, where they were regularly abused. They ran away and began to steal to survive. One day, Killian’s brother was beaten to death and the money they were saving to come to the U.S. was stolen. Killian eventually came here with his girlfriend.”

Mary Margaret’s face softened. “Well, it seems like you have had a very difficult life and I am sorry for that, but you don’t seem to have tried to better yourself.”

Emma’s eyes flashed with anger. “He gave up being a thief, Mother. He wanted to be a better man for me. He has a job bartending now and he’s going to school.”

David nodded. “I applaud your effort, Killian, but that does not excuse you both lying to us. And it certainly doesn’t assure me that you aren’t after my daughter for her money.”

Killian looked at Emma as he spoke. “I’d want to be with your daughter if she didn’t have a penny to her name.”

Emma squeezed his hand. “That’s the real Killian. He is smart and caring and supportive and funny. And he loves me. He showed you the real him every time you saw him. That’s the man I fell in love with.”

Killian smiled gently at her, as she went on. Emma shook her head. “You know, I lied to you because I was afraid of this. And Killian was so afraid you wouldn’t accept him that it almost stopped us from being together. But you should both know better than this. Dad, you came from a similar background as Killian. Mom, your parents tried to stop you from being together, but you wouldn’t let them.”

Mary Margaret shook her head. “This is different, Emma. I never lied to my parents. How can we ever trust you again?”

Emma shook her head and stood up abruptly. “You don’t have to worry about that. If you can’t accept the man I love, then you can’t accept me. Let’s go, Killian.”

“Emma,” Killian said. “Don’t do this. Please, let’s discuss this.”

Emma blinked back tears. “There’s nothing left to say.”

Killian slowly stood and Emma took his hand in hers, as she marched to the exit. 

“Emma, wait!” David called after her.

“Come back, please,” her mother pleaded, as they disappeared from view.

Once outside, Emma leaned against the building and dissolved into tears. Killian pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back comfortingly. 

“Shh, love, it’s going to be okay.”

She pulled back and shook her head. “No, it’s not. It was even worse than I expected. And when my parents find out our marriage is fake too, they’ll disown me. I’m going to lose my family, Killian.”

This is what he had feared for her. He was scared of losing her, but he also feared that she would lose the only family she had. He hated seeing her in pain and knowing he was the cause of it. 

…

~I too know what it means to lose hope.~

 

Two weeks later, Emma and Killian sat curled up on her sofa. Her head was on his shoulder and his arm was draped around her. She had never seen his favorite movie, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’. Thinking this was a travesty, Killian had insisted they watch it together. 

It was nearly done and she hadn’t so much as chuckled. His eyes kept scanning her face for some sign of enjoyment, but he found none. She was staring blankly at the television.

This is how it had been since that night two weeks earlier. She’d plaster on a smile for him and try to pretend things were alright, but he knew better. Her eyes had lost that twinkle he loved so much. There was a sadness in them now that she tried to hide, but he could see it. 

He had encouraged her to call her parents and talk to them, but she refused. She didn’t think it would be any use talking to them. She already felt like she had lost them.

The movie finished and she began to stand, but he gently took her hand in his, stopping her.

“You need to call your parents, Emma.”

She shook her head. “They obviously don’t want to talk to me or they would have called, Killian. I don’t see the point anyway. Unless they’ve changed their mind about you, then I don’t care to hear what they have to say.”

“They’re still your parents and they love you. I know you love and miss them too.”

She nodded and blinked back tears. “I do.”

He brought his hand up and caressed her cheek. “You’re not happy, love.”

She covered his hand with hers and kissed his palm. “Yes, I am, Killian. You make me happy.”

He shook his head. “It feels like you’re not even with me half the time, Emma. I’ll find you staring off into space. Or looking right through me.”

“I’m sorry,” she said in a whisper.

“I don’t want you to be sorry, love. I want you to be happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you, Emma. And whether or not you can admit it, you’re not happy with the way things are right now.”

Emma stood up abruptly. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

“Emma, please.”

She shook her head and held out her hand to him. “Just come to bed and hold me, please.”

Killian slowly slipped his hand into hers and silently followed her to her bedroom. She slipped into bed and he slid in behind her. She turned around and placed her head in the crook of his neck, as she draped her arm across his chest. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. 

He squeezed his eyes closed, as he felt her tears hit his neck.

…

~Don’t do this.~

 

A few nights later, Killian and Emma had just finished having dinner and were talking a walk in the park. Emma had been distracted the entire night. It felt like she hadn’t heard a word he said. 

They stopped in the same spot where they’d had their pizza picnic, but this time they sat on the bench instead of the grass. 

They sat in silence for a few long moments, just watching the stars.

Emma finally broke it. “I never felt like I belonged,” she said softly.

“What?” he asked.

She met his eyes. “In my family. They only cared about appearances and money and things. My parents wanted me to work for the family oil business. Did I ever tell you that?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“They did. They were grooming me from the time I was a little kid. I wanted nothing to do with it and I resented them for trying to force me into it. And I think they resented me for not wanting to be like them.” She paused for a moment. “Have you ever wondered why I have a different last name than them?”

Killian nodded. He had wondered after he met her parents. “Aye.”

“Because I changed it when I turned 18 and left home. I didn’t want people liking me because of who my parents are and how much money they have. I wanted them to like me for me. And I didn’t want to get ahead because the Nolan name carries so much weight around here. I wanted to be my own person. Have my own successes.” She stopped for a moment, swallowing hard. “They were really hurt when I changed it though. They felt like I was rejecting them.”

“Where did Swan come from?” he asked.

Emma smiled sadly. “‘The Ugly Duckling’ was one of my favorite books as a kid. I just loved that story of transformation and acceptance. I felt like that ugly ducking, like I just didn’t fit in. I believed if I could get out from under my parents then I could become who I was always meant to be, like the swan in the story. So I took it as a last name.”

“It suits you,” Killian said. 

Emma took a deep breath, tears forming in her eyes. “As a kid, I used to read my books and imagine that I was really from another family that accepted me for who I am. I used to dream that one day they would just come to claim me and take me away.”

Killian reached up to her cheek and wiped away a stray tear with his thumb. 

“Emma,” he breathed.

“Now, I just feel so guilty because even though they are far from perfect, they are still my parents and I’m going to lose them.”

Killian swallowed roughly. “I can’t stand seeing you like this, love. I wish I could fix things for you.”

Emma smiled at him through her tears. “You are so sweet and you have no idea how much it means to me that you want to do that, but there’s nothing you can do, Killian.”

He paused for a long moment. “Perhaps there is,” he said softly. 

Emma’s eyebrows arched in confusion. “Killian, once they find out our marriage was a sham, they’ll never forgive me and they won’t accept you.”

“They never have to find out our marriage was a ruse, Emma,” he said.

“What do you mean? Of course, they do. If we’re going to be together, then I need to tell them the truth eventually. I can’t go on like this forever.”

He took a deep breath. “Emma,” he began, his throat burning with emotion.

“What?”

“You need to let me go,” Killian whispered.

The words felt like a knife slicing through his heart, but he knew he needed to say them.

Her brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

Killian inhaled deeply before going on. “If we go back to the original plan and I disappear from your life once you get the rest of the money, then your parents never have to know our marriage was a sham. You can tell them they were right about me. That I only wanted you for your money. They won’t question that.”

Emma’s mouth dropped open. “I could never do that, Killian! I don’t want them to believe that about you!”

He licked nervously at his lips. “Please, just listen to me. You can tell them whatever you like. In time, they’ll forgive you for lying about me. I can’t be responsible for tearing you away from your family, Emma. This is what I feared and it came true.”

Emma felt her heart begin to race wildly in her chest. She shook her head furiously. “Don’t do this again, Killian. You said nothing would tear us apart again. You said we could get through this together.”

“I was wrong,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. He took her hands in his. “This will never work. I love you more than words can say, but this will always be between us. Every time you look at me, you’ll see the man that destroyed your family.”

“That’s not true,” she whispered. 

“It is. I know you’ve been trying to hide it from me, Emma, but I can tell how sad you are and it’s killing me to know I’m the cause. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. If you stay with me and your parents learn of the ruse, then they will never forgive you and they’ll never accept me. But if you give me up, then they eventually will.”

Emma felt her breathing become shallow. “Please, don’t do this, Killian. These last couple of weeks have been hard enough. Please don’t make things even worse.”

Killian cupped her face and brought his mouth to hers in a soft kiss. The salt from her tears fell upon his lips as he blinked back his own. This was the hardest thing he had ever done, but he knew he had to do it for her. 

He had taken a chance on love. He thought that their love would be enough and could get them through anything, but he had been wrong. With every passing day, Emma grew more unhappy and the spark that made her who she is seemed to be dying. He knew things would only get worse once the truth was revealed about their marriage. 

Emma loved him so much and wanted so badly to make things work between them that she couldn’t see that they never would. Killian knew if she could, then she would be the one ending things between them, not him. But since he knew she couldn’t do that, then he had to do it for her.

“I love you, Killian,” she whispered. “Nothing else matters.”

He swallowed hard. “In a perfect world that would be true. But we have to deal with the reality of this world, Emma.”

“Don’t I get a say in this?” she asked, her voice sharp with pain.

He brought his hand up to caress her cheek, his heart breaking at the hurt swimming in her eyes. “I could never ask you to choose me over your parents, love, and that’s what you would be doing.”

“It’s my choice, Killian,” she said softly.

He nodded. “And it’s one you thought you could live with, but what you’ve been doing since that night is not living, Emma.” 

Emma’s lowered her gaze. She couldn’t believe this was happening, but, deep down, she knew he was right. 

She leaned her forehead against his and squeezed her eyes closed. “I don’t want to lose you again.”

Killian felt a tear slip down his cheek, as he held her face in his hands and placed a lingering kiss to her lips. 

They parted and he placed his hand over her heart. “You could never really lose me, love. I’ll always be right here with you.”

“It’s not enough,” she whispered through her tears.

“I know,” he replied softly. He then pulled back and met her eyes. “I love you, Emma. Please never forget that.”

Emma sucked in a breath, as she felt her heart shattering again. This didn’t feel real. It felt like a nightmare she should be waking up from.

She sat still on the bench, allowing the tears to fall freely from her eyes for what seemed like hours. 

He sat next to her, his eyes focused on the stars because he couldn’t bear to look at her.

Killian finally stood up. “Let me walk you back to your apartment.”

She shook her head, staring straight through him at the sky. “No.”

“Emma, it’s late and it’s dark. I want to make sure you get home safely.”

“Despite what you believe, Killian, I don’t need you to protect me,” she said sharply.

He nodded. “I know, but I want to anyway. Please. I won’t be able to sleep tonight until I know you’re home safe.”

Killian already knew he wouldn’t be getting any sleep that night and neither would she. 

She finally met his eyes and then stood without a word. They walked to her apartment in silence. They stopped in front of the landing and Killian’s eyes scanned her face, while she stared straight ahead, tears still staining her cheeks.

“Goodbye, Emma,” he said softly.

She went up the stairs without a word and never looked back, although she knew his eyes were on her until she made it inside. Once in, she turned around and leaned her forehead against the door, squeezing her eyes closed as the tears burned her lids. 

Killian sat down on the steps and dropped his head into his hands, finally allowing his own tears to fall. 

His greatest fear had come true. He’d lost her. He’d faced his fears and taken a chance on love again and look what it had gotten him. He was left alone with a broken heart once more. Even worse, he’d broken the heart of the woman he loved more than life itself. 

…  
End of Part 9  
Thanks for reading and please let me know what you thought! ~Steph


	10. Part 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Thanks for your responses to the last part and for reading! So, this story was done when I began posting it, but I’ve tinkered here and there, adding things that I felt were missing and I’m glad I did since it improved the story. I just added some to this chapter so it got too long and flowed better splitting it into two chapters. So I hope you guys don’t mind having an extra part to read because this story is going to be 13 parts now, not 12. Hope you enjoy this part! -Steph

…Accidentally in Love: Part 10/13...

 

~If it can be broken, then that means it still works.~

 

A month and a half passed. Emma and Killian were miserable without each other, but both tried to carry on the best they could. Emma worked non-stop and hadn’t spoken to her parents since that night at the restaurant. Killian immersed himself in work and school to try to keep his mind off Emma. 

In two weeks, Emma would be able to claim the rest of her trust fund and this whole thing would be over. Then maybe she could find a way to reconcile with her parents. She needed to make things right between them or losing Killian would be for nothing. 

One night, Emma decided to visit the park. She hadn’t been back since that night Killian had ended things between them. She wanted to feel closer to him, even though it hurt to think of him and recall the times they’d spent there together.

She spotted him sitting on the bench when she was a few yards away and stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart began to race at the sight of him. She stood frozen to her spot for a few long moments, her mind at war with her heart. Her mind told her to turn around and go home, that no good could come from seeing him. But her heart wanted nothing more than to see him again, to feel his body close to hers. Her heart won.

Slowly, she approached the bench. Somehow, he knew it was her just from the sound of her footsteps. She appeared before him and managed a smile. 

“Hi, Killian,” she said softly.

Killian smiled at her, his eyes sweeping across her face. He’d missed her beautiful face. He’d missed every last thing about her.

“Hello, love,” he whispered. 

They stared at each other awkwardly for a few long moments. Killian licked at his lips nervously. “Will you sit with me a little while?”

Emma took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay,” she said.

She sat down beside him and felt her cheeks redden, as he turned his head to gaze at her.

“How are you?” he asked hesitantly.

Emma shrugged. “Keeping busy with work. Just trying to carry on without you.”

“As am I. I’ve been busying myself with school and work.” He paused and averted his gaze to the ground. “Have you spoken to your parents?”

Emma shook her head. “I don’t expect to.”

“You could call them, Emma. Take the first step,” he said as he slowly reached over and covered her hand with his.

Emma sucked in a breath at his touch. She stared at his hand, her eyes focused on his wedding ring. 

She ignored his comment. “I didn’t think you’d still be wearing your wedding ring,” she said.

Killian nodded, his eyes moving to the band. “Well, your parents still believe we’re married, so I felt it best to leave it on in case I encountered them.” He paused and added, swallowing hard, “Truthfully, I don’t want to remove it, Emma. It’s all I have left of you.”

Emma’s eyes roamed across his face. “Do you regret it? Do you regret facing your fears to be with me considering how things ended between us?”

Killian shook his head firmly. He brought his free hand up to caress her cheek. Emma’s eyes fluttered closed, as she let out a sigh at his touch.

“I could never regret being with you, love. The happiest I have ever been was with you.” 

Emma smiled at him. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“I do regret hurting you. I regret that we couldn’t make it work.” Killian took a deep breath. “Do you regret facing your fears and trusting me with your heart?”

Emma shook her head. “No, not for a second.” She offered him a small smile. “You made me so happy, Killian. You showed me how amazing love can be with the right man.”

“And you showed me how amazing love can be with the right woman.”

Until now, Emma had been able to keep the tears at bay, but now they filled her eyes. “It’s not fair. If we’re so right for each other, then how could things have gone so wrong?”

Killian sucked in a breath. He had been asking himself that question for the last six weeks. “I don’t know, Emma. Perhaps if we could have lived in a bubble just the two of us, then things could have worked out. But relationships don’t exist in a bubble. Love doesn’t exist in a bubble. We have to contend with the outside forces in our life.”

Emma swallowed hard. “After all of this, Killian, I may still lose my parents. And then this would all be for nothing.”

Killian shook his head. “I don’t believe that, Emma. I think your parents will forgive you for lying about me, but you have to speak to them in order for that to happen.”

Emma met his eyes. “And what if they still somehow end up learning our marriage was a sham? Do you believe they can forgive me then?”

Killian sighed. “I don’t know, love. I want to believe they would be able to.”

“You warned me, Killian. You tried to get me to put an end to this whole thing and just ask them for the money, but I was too stubborn. I was wrong to think I could live with the consequences. You were right.”

Killian offered her a grin and cocked his head.

“What?” she asked, her brow furrowing at him.

“Remember this date.”

“Why?”

“Because today was the day Emma Swan admitted I was right about something. Today is a banner day, indeed.”

Emma chuckled, followed by Killian. They both enjoyed the light moment they were able to share. They had missed just being able to talk and laugh with each other. 

Their laughter subsided and they fell into an uncomfortable silence once again.

Killian turned his eyes to the stars, as Emma’s went to his face. “I bought a book about constellations,” he said.

Emma smiled. “You did?”

He nodded. “Aye. I know it’s something you enjoy, so I wanted to learn more about them.”

Emma moved her gaze to the sky, pointing up at the stars. “Have you ever heard the story of the stars Vega and Altair?” she asked.

Killian shook his head. “No.”

“Vega was a princess who weaved. She weaved beautiful clothes. She fell in love with a cow herder named Altair. Her father approved of the union and they married. But they were so in love that Vega became distracted and stopped weaving the clothes. This angered her father.”

Killian’s eyes were on her again. “What did he do?”

Emma met his eyes. “He separated them by a river of stars we know as the Milky Way.”

“That’s awful,” Killian said.

Emma went on, her throat beginning to constrict. “They were both heartbroken without the other. Vega finally went to her father and begged him to let them be together. He loved his daughter, so he made a deal with her. If she continued to weave well, then she could see her husband on the seventh day of the seventh month every year.”

“Only once a year?” Killian asked softly. 

Emma nodded, as she felt the tears begin to burn. “Vega knew it was better than never seeing him again, so she agreed. On the seventh day of the seventh month, she went to the river and could see Altair across the way, but there was no bridge to cross to reach him. She began to cry so much that a flock of magpies heard her and made a bridge so she could cross to reach him.”

Killian swallowed hard. “That’s a beautiful story.”

Emma’s eyes held his. “It’s a sad story. They loved each other so much, but could only spend one day a year with each other.” She added, “They say if it ever rains on the seventh day of the seventh month, then that means the magpies were unable to come that year and Vega’s cries of longing fill the universe.”

She felt the tears fill her eyes. 

“Emma,” he said softly.

“I’m fine,” she replied, smiling through her tears. “I suppose they’re lucky. At least they get one day together. That’s more than some.”

Killian moved his eyes to the ground. He felt his chest tighten with emotion.

She went on. “There’s a Chinese version of the story too. They celebrate the legend of Tanabata, also known as the Star Festival. One of the customs is to write wishes on pieces of paper and hang them on bamboo. After the festival, they are often set afloat in paper ships on the river.”

“Do you think any of the wishes ever come true?” he asked quietly.

Emma nodded, as she swiped at a tear in the corner of her eyes with her thumb. 

“I hope so,” she whispered. 

With that, she slowly stood up and looked down at him. “Goodnight, Killian.”

She refused to say goodbye, hoping this wouldn’t be the last time she ever saw him. 

“Goodnight, Emma,” he replied, then watched her go, a dull ache taking up residence in his chest.

…

~There is a difference between literal truth and honesty of the heart.~

 

Killian rolled his eyes and considered ducking below the counter when he saw Robin stroll into the bar. He had taken to badgering him on a daily basis about his gloomy disposition. 

“Hello, mate,” Robin said, as he took a stool across from Killian.

“Scotch on the rocks?” Killian asked, as he reached for the bottle and the glass.

Robin waved a hand in dismissal. “No, this is a purely social call.”

Killian sighed heavily. “I’m working, Robin.”

“You’ve been depressing me and every customer who comes into this bar for the last six weeks. Now, I suppose that’s good for business. You’re driving them to drink more than they normally would. But it’s driving me mad.”

“Apologies for being a burden,” Killian replied resentfully.

“Look, we’ve become mates. At least, I’d like to think we have. Believe it or not, I want to see you happy.” He paused. “So I was thinking it’s about time you got back on the horse.”

Killian looked at him in confusion. “What?”

“You know, started dating again.”

Killian shook his head sharply. “No interest. Thank you.”

“Come on, what could it hurt? A few drinks, a meal.”

Killian cocked his head at him. “What would be the point?”

“To get your mind off Emma. To start moving on.”

Killian’s voice softened. “There’s not another woman on this planet who could get my mind off Emma.”

Robin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Has anyone ever told you you’re awfully dramatic? One date won’t kill you.”

Killian groaned in frustration. “Look, before I met Emma I swore off relationships. I’d never go out with the same girl twice. But I took a chance on love and relationships and look where it got me.”

“So you regret allowing yourself to love Emma then?” Robin asked.

Killian shook his head firmly. “I don’t regret opening myself up to loving Emma. Not for one second, but I won’t make that mistake again. If I couldn’t make it work with Emma, then there’s no chance for me.”

Robin sighed heavily. “I’m just saying go on one date. No one’s saying you have to marry the lass. No relationship. You don’t even have to call her again. Just get back out there.”

Killian shrugged his shoulders. “You don’t understand. I don’t want to get back out there. I don’t want any woman except Emma. I love her and nothing is ever going to change that.”

Robin smacked his hand against the bar. “So that’s it then? You’re going to spend the rest of your life celibate? Never go out with another woman again? You know that’s bloody ridiculous, right?”

Killian looked him in the eye. “Have you ever been in love?”

Robin dropped his gaze. “Well…no, but-…”

Killian cut him off sharply. “Then you have no idea what you’re talking about. When you love someone, truly love them, you can’t just forget them. You don’t just move on and try to find someone else. Emma is the first thing on my mind when I wake up and the last before I fall asleep. And I can’t imagine a time when that won’t be so.”

Robin scratched at the back of his head nervously and muttered, “I was hoping you would make this easier.”

Killian’s eyes narrowed at him. “What are you talking about?”

Robin held up his hands defensively. “I was only trying to help, mate, I swear.”

“What did you do?” he asked, his jaw clenching.

“Well, I may have met this lovely lass and accepted a blind date on your behalf.”

“Why in bloody hell would you do that?” Killian asked, his nostrils flaring.

“I thought it would do you some good. I wasn’t prepared for you to be quite so unwilling.”

“Call her and cancel it. Right now.”

Robin dropped his eyes. “That’s the thing. I can’t. I don’t even know her last name. I failed to get her number. I don’t have her address either. I told her to meet you at this restaurant 30 minutes outside Storybrooke so no one who knows Emma would see you with a woman besides your faux wife.”

Killian wanted to punch Robin in the face. “I can’t believe you did this.”

“There’s more.”

“More?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“The date is in an hour. I knew your shift was almost over and I figured you couldn’t back out if I gave you such little notice.”

“Watch me,” he said with a bitter smile. “I’m not going.”

“You’re going to stand up this perfectly nice, innocent woman?”

“Call the restaurant and they can tell her something came up. Family emergency or something.”

“Oh, like she won’t see right through that.”

“I’m not going, Robin.” Killian’s voice softened. “It wouldn’t be fair to this woman anyway. Going on a date with her while I’m in love with another woman. I would be thinking about Emma the whole time.”

Robin sighed. “Look, I’m sorry for overstepping, but I see no reason to hurt this woman tonight. Go to the restaurant, have a meal, and be done with it. If you do, I promise I will leave you alone from now on.”

“Can I get that in writing?” Killian asked. He paused with a heavy sigh. “Fine. I’ll go.”

Robin smiled, “Thanks, mate.”

 

An hour and a half later, Killian found himself sitting across from a perfectly nice woman and thinking of nothing but Emma. His date had been talking for some time, but he hadn’t heard a word she said. He wasn’t even sure he remembered her name. Karen or Caroline or Carolyn. It didn’t matter anyway. He’d sit politely and nod every few minutes and then he’d never have to see her again after tonight. 

David and Mary Margaret had almost called Emma a dozen times, but could never quite bring themselves to do it. They felt they all needed some time to cool off and think. Tonight, they decided it was finally time to pay her a visit. They felt this conversation needed to be done in person. 

They had just finished dinner at their favorite restaurant and were headed to their car to go to Emma’s when something caught Mary Margaret’s attention in the window of the restaurant they were passing by.

Mary Margaret stopped dead in her tracks and pointed. “Is that Killian?”

David squinted and then nodded. “Yes. What the hell? He’s with another woman.”

Mary Margaret shook her head sharply. “I knew he couldn’t be trusted. He’s cheating on our daughter.”

Mary Margaret marched to the door and entered the restaurant. She was followed by her husband. She appeared by Killian’s table just as he was taking a drink. When he looked up and saw Mary Margaret’s angry face glaring down at him, he nearly spit it out.

“Mrs. Nolan? Mr. Nolan? What are you doing here?”

Mary Margaret gestured at him and the woman, who was staring at them in confusion. “The question is: What are you doing here with this woman instead of your wife?”

“Wife?” the woman said. “You’re married?”

Killian had discreetly hidden his ring finger from her all night. He knew he should have taken the ring off before going on the date, but he just couldn’t bring himself to.

Killian ignored her and looked up at Mary Margaret and David. “This is not what it looks like.”

David clenched his jaw. “Oh really? Because it looks like our son-in-law is on a date. It looks like you’re cheating on our daughter.”

The woman stood up, picked up a glass of water, and threw it in his face. “Pig!”

Killian’s eyes widened in shock, as he wiped at his face with his napkin. His date stomped out of the restaurant without another word.

Mary Margaret crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“You need to speak to your daughter,” he said calmly.

“Oh, trust me, we will. She’s going to find out exactly who you are. You don’t deserve her. You’re nothing but a liar, just as we thought.”

David sighed heavily. “You’re married to our daughter. What the hell were you thinking?”

Killian couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t tell one more lie.

“We’re not married,” he spat out.

David and Mary Margaret’s eyes widened in shock. 

“What are you talking about?” she said.

“You got divorced?” David asked. “The six months aren’t up for another two weeks. Emma won’t get her money.”

Killian stood. “Like I said, you need to talk to Emma.”

“We’re talking to you,” Mary Margaret said.

“It’s not my place to say,” he replied. 

Killian couldn’t pretend anymore. It was taking all of his energy trying to live without Emma and he just couldn’t muster any more to tell another lie. Her parents already thought he was a thief and a liar. He wouldn’t let them believe he was a cheater too.

“Speak to your daughter,” he repeated and made a move to leave.

David’s hand on his chest stopped him. “Oh, we will. But you’re coming with us. Right now.”

Killian shook his head. “This is really between you and Emma.”

Mary Margaret shook her head and grabbed his arm. “The hell it is. Let’s go.”

 

30 minutes later, they were standing at Emma’s door. David pounded on it. A moment later, the door flew open and a shocked Emma found herself staring at all three of them.

“Dad? Mom? Killian?”

Her mother and father brushed past her inside. 

“What’s going on, Killian?” she whispered. 

“I’m sorry, love,” he said.

“Sorry for what?’ she asked.

“Maybe for cheating on you,” David interjected.

Emma spun around to face her parents, as Killian entered the apartment. 

“What?” she asked, her brow wrinkling in confusion. 

Mary Margaret gestured to Killian. “We just found your husband out on a date.”

“You were on a date?” she asked, looking at him and unable to keep the hurt out of her voice. 

He didn’t reply, as David continued on. “But, then again, I guess it’s not cheating if you’re not married.”

Emma sucked in a breath, as she looked at Killian. “What did you tell them?” 

“I’m sorry, Emma. I told them we weren’t married.”

Mary Margaret shook her head. “You got divorced, Emma? Before the six months were up?”

Emma slowly let out a breath and then squeezed her eyes closed. She couldn’t do this anymore. She couldn’t pretend one more minute. She couldn’t tell one more lie. She didn’t care if she lost the money. She had already lost the one thing that mattered to her anyway: Killian.

“We didn’t get divorced,” she said.

“I don’t understand,” David replied.

“Killian and I,” she began, meeting his eyes. “We were never married to begin with.”

Emma couldn’t believe the look of utter disbelief that washed over their faces. 

“What are you talking about? We were there. We paid for and planned the whole wedding,” Mary Margaret said.

“I gave you away,” David added.

Emma looked at Killian pleadingly. He licked at his lips nervously. “It was all a lie from the beginning. Emma and I were never engaged. She caught me stealing from her store and made a deal with me. I would pretend to marry her in exchange for her not sending me to jail. She needed to be married to get the money from her trust fund and save her business, so I agreed.”

“It was all a lie,” Mary Margaret said, stunned.

“You did this for the money?” David asked.

Emma nodded. “Yes, I needed to save my business. So I hired an actor to be the Justice of the Peace and a friend at city hall faked a marriage license.” 

“I can’t believe this,” Mary Margaret said, her hand covering her mouth.

“You were pretending this whole time,” David stated, shaking his head in astonishment.

“Not the whole time,” Killian corrected.

Emma turned to look at him.

“What do you mean?” Mary Margaret asked.

“I fell in love with your daughter. We fell in love,” he said softly, his eyes washing over Emma’s face.

Emma smiled sadly. 

“Is this true?” David asked Emma.

She nodded. “It is.”

“Then you are together,” Mary Margaret said. “Which means he was cheating on you.”

Killian shook his head and replied, his voice cracking. “We’re not together anymore.”

“Why not?” David asked.

Emma looked at them, her voice dripping with bitterness. “Because of you two.”

“Us?” Mary Margaret asked.

“Yes,” Emma said. “Killian gave me up because he didn’t want to be the cause of ruining my relationship with you. He knew you could never accept him.”

David shook his head and took his wife’s hand in his own. “I can’t listen to anymore of this. I think it’s time we go.”

“That’s it?” Emma said. “I just told you I’m not with the man I love because of you two and that’s all you can say?”

Mary Margaret spoke sharply. “Excuse us if we need a little time to process, Emma. We just found out our daughter lied to us about her marriage and created this elaborate ruse just so she could get money. We feel like fools.”

“I don’t care about the money,” Emma said. “I only wanted to save my business and I’ve done that. The rest of the money can go to the dog.”

“It will,” David said. “You didn’t meet the terms of the trust fund.”

Emma laughed bitterly, shaking her head. “That’s all you really care about. Money. You don’t care that my heart is broken right now.”

Mary Margaret looked her daughter in the eye. “You’re not the only one who’s been hurt, Emma.” She paused and looked at her husband. “Let’s go, David.”

With that, her parents stormed out.

Emma and Killian stood there in silence until he broke it.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“Don’t be,” she said. “I’m relieved. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”

“But, Emma, your parents may never forgive you.”

Emma felt the tears appear in her eyes and said softly, “I know.”

Killian hesitantly moved forward and pulled her into his arms. She placed her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, allowing his warmth to comfort her. 

After a few long moments, they parted. 

Killian bit at his lower lip nervously. “The date, Emma…I want you to know-…”

She shook her head, cutting him off. “You don’t owe me an explanation, Killian. We’re not together anymore.”

“I want to explain,” he said sharply. “Robin forced me to go on it. It was a blind date that he accepted on my behalf without my permission. He made the reservations at a restaurant 30 minutes outside of town. I didn’t even know about it until an hour before. I never expected to see your parents there.”

“It’s okay,” she said, sucking in a breath at the thought of him being with another woman. “You’re free to do whatever you please. The truth is out now, Killian. We no longer have to pretend to be married. You can be with any woman you want.”

Killian swallowed around the lump in his throat. “I have no desire to be with another woman.”

Emma shrugged sadly. “You deserve to be happy, Killian. Some lucky woman out there deserves to be with a man like you.”

“I don’t want anyone but you,” he said softly, bringing his hand up to her cheek and stroking it with his thumb.

She blinked back tears. “Neither do I.”

Killian desperately wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her, but he resisted. Nothing had changed. If anything, it was made painfully clear to him tonight that he had been right. They could never work.

They stared longingly at one another, standing close enough to touch, but a river of stars might as well have been separating them. 

…  
End of Part 10  
Thanks for reading and please let me know what you thought! ~Steph


	11. Part 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Thanks for your responses to the last part and for reading! Hope you enjoy this part! -Steph

…Accidentally in Love: Part 11/13...

 

~I was hoping it’d be you.~

 

A few nights later, Emma headed to the park. It was July 7th, the seventh day of the seventh month. She knew it was a long shot and probably ridiculous, but she was hoping he’d be there. She was hoping he’d remember the story she’d told him about the stars Vega and Altair and the significance of today. 

Her face fell and her chest deflated when she arrived at their bench and found it empty. She sat down, willing the tears away. The stars always brought her comfort, so she was about to look up at them, when she noticed something fluttering in the corner of her eye. It was a piece of paper hanging from a tree beside the bench. 

She stood up and walked over to the tree. The strip of paper dangled in the soft summer wind. She brought her fingertips up to it, touching it gently before grabbing a hold of it. There was writing on it. She smiled, as she looked at the handwriting. She’d know his handwriting anywhere. She’d spent many sleepless nights tracing her fingers across the words on the birthday card he’d given her and the inscription he’d written in her book.

She read the simple words of his wish. “To be with her.”

Emma smiled through her tears and dug into her pocket for the strip of paper she had written. She had an extra strip in her pocket for him. She had hoped to find him here and to place them on the tree together, but he had already beaten her to it. 

With trembling fingers, she hung up her piece of paper beside his. Her words echoed his.

“To be with him.”

She stood there for a few minutes, saddened by the sight of the two strips of paper side by side while their owners were kept apart. Emma was just about to leave when she heard footsteps approach her from behind. Her breath caught in her chest. She knew it was him.

He came to stand beside her, smiling at the strip of paper that was now beside his and the words that were on it.

“I was hoping I’d find you here,” he said softly.

Emma smiled, meeting his eyes. “I was hoping to find you too, but you’d already been here.”

He shrugged. “That I was. I returned home because I forgot something.”

“What?” Emma asked.

Killian pulled out two paper boats that he’d folded. “These,” he said.

Emma smiled, her heart soaring that he’d remembered every aspect of the story she’d told him. “You remembered.”

“Of course I did, love,” he said softly. “I remember everything you’ve ever told me.”

Emma blinked back her tears.

He held out his hand. “Shall we?”

Emma nodded and removed the strips of paper from the tree. She then placed her free hand in his, reveling in his touch. They walked in silence to the dock.

Once there, Killian handed Emma her boat, red because it was her favorite color. She handed him his strip of paper. She then dug into her pocket and pulled out the extra strip. She found a pen in her jacket pocket and scribbled something on the blank strip.

“What did you wish?” he asked.

She showed him the paper which read, “To be with my parents again.”

Killian smiled and squeezed her hand comfortingly. He then placed a tea light in the boats and lit them. They placed their strips beside the candle in their boats. Kneeling beside each other at the end of the dock, they both put their boats into the water. They watched as they floated side by side and slowly drifted away.

She turned her gaze to him and asked softly, “Can we make a pact?”

Killian nodded. “Of course, love.”

“Can we meet here every year, on the seventh day of the seventh month?” she asked in a whisper.

His eyes widened for a moment. “Emma,” he began gently. “I don’t want anything to stop you from living, from finding happiness. You deserve that. I don’t want you to hold onto something that can only happen once a year.”

Emma took his hands in hers. “Right now, the thought of being able to see you, even just once a year, is the only thing that’s getting me through this. Please, Killian.”

Killian swallowed hard. “Okay, love. I promise,” he said.

Emma smiled and then stepped forward, as he wrapped his arms around her. They both squeezed their eyes closed, believing this could be the last time they saw or felt each other for a year. 

…

~Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing.~

 

Two weeks passed after that night. David found his wife sitting in the library, Emma and Killian’s wedding picture in her hands. He came to sit down beside her.

“I can’t believe it was all a lie,” she said, tracing her finger across Emma’s face.

“Neither can I. I just don’t understand how Emma could deceive us like that,” David said.

“I do,” Mary Margaret replied. 

“Why would you say that?” he asked, his brow wrinkling in confusion.

Mary Margaret met his eyes. “Let’s face it, David. Emma has always struggled to be a part of this family. She never cared about all of the money and the stature. She wanted to be herself and do things on her own. But all we did was try to force her to be like us.”

“Is that so terrible? We’re successful. We have a great life.”

Mary Margaret nodded. “We do, but it’s not what Emma wanted for herself.” Mary Margaret paused and said, “I think, in some ways, we lost her when she walked out that door at 18 and changed her name.”

David bobbed his head. “And now we may lose her for good.”

Mary Margaret blinked back tears. “We’re her parents. She should know that she can come to us for anything, but, instead, she thought it was better to create this entire ruse.”

“She’s a grown woman,” David said. “She knew what she was doing. She knew her actions would have consequences.”

“I know, but the fact that she felt like she needed to do this instead of come to us makes me feel like we failed her.” She took a deep breath. “David, the truth is, we failed our daughter when she told us she was pregnant and we said we wanted to send her to a convent to have the baby. It wasn’t what she wanted. She only agreed to it after what Neal did to her. And instead of comforting our daughter, we used that to get her to agree to our plan to go away and give the baby up. We didn’t do it because it was best for Emma or the baby. We did it because it was best for us. Is it any wonder she felt like she couldn’t come to us now?”

David put his arm around his wife’s shoulders and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I suppose you’re right.”

Mary Margaret wiped at a tear in the corner of her eye. “And now I feel just like my mother. Standing in the way of Emma and Killian, just as she stood in the way of us.”

David shook his head. “We just want to protect, Emma. She has to understand that.”

Mary Margaret sighed heavily. “I think it’s time we spoke to our daughter, don’t you?” she asked.

David nodded his head in agreement. 

…

~I’m going to choose to see the best in you.~

 

The six month deadline came and went and Emma’s thoughts on that day weren’t about the money. They were about how she wished she’d been able to spend that time with Killian. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since that night they set their wishes afloat on the river and she didn’t expect to. As difficult as that was to accept, she knew she had to. She knew some wishes never came true. 

Emma also hadn’t had any contact with her parents. She thought after everything she was going to lose both her parents and Killian. Then she would be left with no one.

“Are you all right?” Belle asked, as she sat across from her best friend in their store.

Emma had been staring at her coffee. “Yeah, of course. I’m fine.”

Belle sighed heavily. “Emma, you don’t have to lie to me. I know you’re miserable. You miss your parents. You miss Killian.”

Emma shrugged her shoulders. “I started this whole thing, Belle, knowing I could lose my parents. I made that choice. It was a terrible mistake, but now I have to live with it. Killian tried to warn me that I might not be able to, but I didn’t listen to him.”

“Why don’t you just call your parents? Maybe they’re just waiting for you to extend an olive branch.”

Emma shook her head. “I really hurt them, Belle. I don’t know if they’ll ever be able to forgive me. I can’t say I blame them.”

“Emma, they’re your parents. No matter what happens, they’ll never stop loving you.”

Emma nodded, “Maybe so, but that doesn’t mean they’ll ever be able to forgive what I did.”

They lapsed into silence for a few long moments, until Belle broke it. “What about Killian?”

“What about him?” Emma asked softly.

“Have you spoken to him?”

Emma’s voice softened. “Not since that night on the docks I told you about.” She paused and shrugged her shoulders sadly. “Everything is out in the open now and he got a front row seat when my parents learned the whole truth. After that, I’m sure he realized he was right. We could never work.”

“And you can just accept that?”

“I guess I have to,” she said, as she stood up and walked behind the counter.

Emma heard the bell sound on the door. She lifted her head, her mouth dropping open at the sight of her parents. 

“Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?”

“I think it’s time we talk, don’t you?” Mary Margaret said as she sat down at a table, followed by David.

Emma stood rooted to her spot for a long moment, before finally coming to sit across from them. Belle stood up and gave her a reassuring smile before heading into the kitchen.

“I’m not sure what’s left to say,” Emma said.

“Well, I think you could start with an apology,” David replied.

Emma swallowed hard. They were right. She had never apologized and they deserved that from her.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry for lying to you. I’m sorry for deceiving you for months.”

Mary Margaret sighed. “We want to understand why you didn’t just come to us and ask for the money to save your business.”

“Emma, you have to know we would have given it to you.”

Emma nodded. “I do know that. But I vowed when I went out on my own that I would never ask you for money. I wanted to do it on my own.”

David shook his head. “So it was better to deceive us? To come up with this insane ruse?”

Emma lowered her eyes. “It seemed like the best option at the time, but I did feel guilty for lying to you. I was wrong and I truly am sorry.”

“Thank you,” Mary Margaret said.

Emma went on. “But I’m not sorry for falling in love with Killian. I’m not sorry that this whole thing brought him into my life. I’ll never regret that.”

Mary Margaret’s eyes scanned Emma’s face for a long moment. “You really love him, don’t you?”

Emma nodded, as she felt tears begin to burn her eyes. “Yes, I do. And I know if you gave the real him a chance, then you would too.”

David reached across the table and covered Emma’s hand with his. “We were only trying to protect you, Emma. You have to believe that.”

“You were devastated after what happened with Neal. You swore off love. We just wanted to make sure if you ever did give your heart again, then it was to the right man.”

“I gave it to the right man,” Emma replied. “You have no idea how hard it was to let him in, to trust him, but I did it and I am so glad I did, even though my heart broke all over again.”

“Emma, all we’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy,” David said. “I know it hasn’t been easy being a part of our family and I know you have always felt like you don’t belong. I’m sorry we didn’t make things easier for you. I’m sorry you didn’t feel like you could come to us and trust us. We are far from perfect and we have made mistakes, but we just want you to have the life you deserve.”

Emma nodded. “I wasn’t fair to you two either. I resented you, especially after what happened with Neal and sending me away to have my baby. I felt like I needed to be on my own in order to be accepted for who I am. I know changing my name really hurt you and I never intended that. I’m sorry.” 

Mary Margaret blinked back tears. “We’ve all made mistakes. We can’t change the past. We have to deal with the present. I don’t want to do to you what my parents did to us. I never wanted to do that.”

“Killian loves me so much he gave me up so that I wouldn’t lose you two. But I probably have anyway.”

“Do we look lost to you, sweetheart?” David asked.

“You could never lose us, Emma. We’re your parents and we love you, no matter what.” 

“Does that mean you can forgive me?” she asked softly. “Can you ever trust me again?”

David nodded. “Of course we can, sweetheart.”

Emma let out a relieved breath. She slowly stood up and her parents did the same. She moved forward and hugged them both, their arms wrapping tightly around their daughter.

When they parted, Emma licked her lips nervously and met their eyes cautiously. “What about Killian? Can you ever accept him?”

“Does he make you happy?” Mary Margaret asked.

Emma’s smile spread across her lips and her eyes sparkled. “Happier than I’ve ever been in my life. Happier than I thought I could be.”

David and Mary Margaret exchanged a look. 

“Then that’s all we could ever ask for,” David replied.

Emma smiled, her heart leaping in her chest. “I hope I can make him believe that.”

Mary Margaret shook her head. “Actually, I think that needs to come from us.”

Emma’s brow furrowed in worry. “What do you mean?”

David stood. “We’re going to pay your Killian a visit.”

Emma knitted her brow together in worry. “Do you really think that’s a good idea? A few minutes ago, I didn’t think there was a chance for me and Killian, but now I do. I’m afraid if you two speak to him on your own, then things might not go well.”

Mary Margaret squeezed her daughter’s hand. “Emma, you say he is a good man. You say he has changed because of you. You say he loves you. After everything that’s happened, we need to see that for ourselves.”

Emma’s face fell. “Fine,” she replied softly.

Her parents kissed her on her cheeks and then walked out of the store. Emma chewed at her lower lip worriedly. 

…

~I just wanted to be a better man for you, Swan.~

 

Killian wiped down the bar, his wedding ring sparkling in the light. He knew he no longer needed to wear it. He’d even tried to remove it a dozen times, but he couldn’t bring himself to. It was all he had left of Emma.

Mary Margaret and David entered the bar, their eyes scanning the dingy, dimly lit dive. It certainly wasn’t a place they would ever frequent.

“What can I get you?” Killian asked, without looking up from his task.

“Well, I guess that depends,” David replied.

Killian’s head shot up, his eyes growing wide at the sight of them.

“Mr. and Mrs. Nolan, what are you doing here?”

“We felt we were overdue for a talk,” Mary Margaret replied, as she and David sat down on the stools in front of him.

“Does Emma know you’re here?” he asked softly.

David nodded. “She does. In fact, we just came from seeing her.”

“How is she? Is she okay?” he asked, trying, but failing, to keep the concern and eagerness out of his voice.

“She’s been better,” Mary Margaret said. “She misses you terribly.”

Killian lowered his gaze, his voice emerging softly. “And I miss her, more than you could ever know.” He paused and then added, “Look, I just…I never got to apologize for deceiving you. I am truly sorry.”

Mary Margaret nodded. “Thank you, Killian.”

“Let me ask you something,” David said, leaning forward on the bar. “Why did you go along with that ruse for as long as you did? You had to know after some time passed that Emma wouldn’t turn you in to the police.”

“I did it for her,” he said in a whisper. “I knew she needed me…and I wanted to be with her.”

“And the fact that you knew she’d be a very rich woman when the time was up had no bearing on that decision?” Mary Margaret asked.

He shook his head. “I attempted to convince Emma to give the whole ruse up several times. She felt guilty and worried you would never forgive her. So I tried to persuade her to end it all and just ask you two for the money to save her business instead.”

“You did?” David asked, surprised.

“Aye,” he replied. 

Mary Margaret eyed him. “Five million dollars is a lot of money, Killian. Do you really expect us to believe that it never crossed your mind that if you stayed with Emma then you could benefit from it too? You were a thief from a poor family. Do you honestly expect us to believe you didn’t care at all about the money?”

“If I did,” he began, his voice firm, “then I wouldn’t have given her up, would I?”

David shook his head. “I suppose not.” 

“I broke your daughter’s heart because I was trying to protect her. I know what it’s like to lose everyone you love and I didn’t want Emma to have to go through that.”

Mary Margaret’s face softened. “But then you lost her too.”

“Aye. Love is about sacrifice, isn’t it?” Killian said. “You see, we aren’t so different after all. We both wanted to protect Emma.”

Mary Margaret and David exchanged a look. They could tell every word he said was sincere. 

David took a deep breath. “We forgave Emma.”

“You did?” Killian asked.

“Yes,” Mary Margaret confirmed. “We’re rebuilding our relationship with her. But things will never be right between us unless we make things right with you.”

Killian’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

David smiled gently. “We can see that you have tried to be a better man. We believe you love our daughter, Killian. We can see why she fell in love with you.”

Mary Margaret tilted her head. “And your family background doesn’t matter.” Killian swallowed hard, as she went on. “You belong together. I think we always knew that. We saw the way you looked at each other and how Emma’s face lit up every time you were around. There’s no faking that. I guess that’s why we were so easy to fool.”

Killian began slowly. “So does that mean you can accept me?”

David extended his hand. Killian stared at it for a long moment before placing his hand in his. David shook Killian’s hand as his response.

Killian’s smile spread from ear-to-ear. “Thank you.”

Mary Margaret waved a hand at him, a grin on her face. “What are you still doing here? Go get her!”

Killian began to move around the bar, but then remembered his shift wasn’t over for several more hours and it would be too late to go to Emma by the time he was done. 

“I have an honest job now and I don’t want to ruin it. I’m afraid I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see Emma.”

David bobbed his head. “I respect your commitment and applaud how responsible you’re being.”

Mary Margaret reached out and patted his arm. “Emma’s waited this long for you, Killian. Something tells me she can wait one more night.”

Killian smiled and nodded, as they got up and left. His heart was beating so fast in his chest he thought it would burst. He and Emma were finally going to get the chance they deserved. 

…

~Killian, come back to me.~

 

Emma unlocked the door of the bookstore and flipped the sign to open. She went about her morning routine. She put the muffins and scones out. She started the coffee. Belle usually sorted the new books, but she had a dentist appointment that morning so Emma began that task. 

She moved between the stacks, searching for the correct spots. The books were in alphabetical order by title and her eyes scanned the shelf where the T’s were. She smiled when her gaze landed upon ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. 

That book would forever make her think of Killian. She frowned, wondering what had happened between him and her parents. She was certain if they had convinced him of their acceptance then he would have shown up at her door last night. She had waited up well past midnight, but he had never come. A knot grew in her stomach at the thought that maybe they hadn’t been able to get through to him after all. Maybe after everything, they still wouldn’t get to be together. 

The bell sounded on the door, but she didn’t pay it any attention. Her thoughts were so consumed by him as she stared at the book that she didn’t notice a figure hovering by her side. She reached for the copy of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and was startled when a hand reached out at the same time, covering hers.

“Sorry,” she said, her gaze still focused on the book.

“It’s okay, love.” 

She’d know that voice anywhere.

Her eyes slowly lifted, as if she were afraid it was just a dream or her mind playing tricks on her, and she’d be met with nothing but empty space.

But then her eyes met his and she breathed a sigh of relief. A smile curled her lips.

“Killian,” she breathed.

He offered her a grin, before pulling her body flush against his and bringing his lips to hers. She felt herself melt into him, reveling in the feel of his body close to hers again. She thought she’d never feel him again. He pulled back and she buried her face in his neck. He squeezed his eyes closed and rested his cheek against her hair, inhaling her intoxicating scent. 

“God, I missed you,” he whispered.

Emma looked up at him and then cupped his face in her hands. “Don’t ever leave me again. Do you understand me?”

“Aye, love,” he replied with a twinkle in his eyes. “I’m never letting you go again.”

“I love you,” she said, tears now streaming down her cheeks.

“I love you too, Emma,” he said, as he wiped her tears from her cheeks with his knuckle.

They were interrupted by the low sound of a throat clearing behind them. 

They spun around to find Belle staring at them, a grin on her lips.

“Do you two mind? This is a place of business, you know.”

Emma smiled, linking her hand with his. “I’m taking the day off,” she said, as she looked up at him. “Killian and I are going to spend the day together.”

“Bloody brilliant idea,” he said, pressing a kiss to her temple. 

They left the store hand-in-hand, knowing that nothing could ever tear them apart again. 

Turns out, sometimes wishes do come true.

…  
End of Part 11  
Sadness over. Sorry for making you guys cry during this fic, but the happy is back now! Thanks for reading and please let me know what you thought! ~Steph


	12. Part 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Thanks for your responses to the last part and for reading! The next part will be the last part. Hope you enjoy this one! -Steph

…Accidentally in Love: Part 12/13...

 

~I’m a fan of every part of you.~

 

The next month was the happiest of Emma and Killian’s lives. They made up for lost time by spending every moment they could together. As they did, they started learning all of the little things about each other that you can only learn in time. She learned he loved peas. He learned she hated them. He learned she hogged the covers on the bed and she learned he had cold feet. Killian learned Emma was rather messy and she learned he was a neat freak. Everything they learned about each other made them feel closer. Somehow, they fell even more in love.

Emma’s parents had invited them over for dinner that night. Friday night dinners had become an accidental tradition with them over the last month and Emma liked the routine of it. 

Killian had been spending so much time at Emma’s that she had cleaned out a drawer for him and made some space in the closet. She sat on the bed now, watching him get ready. For once, she was waiting for him. She smiled, as his tongue snaked out and he struggled with his tie. She came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head against his back.

He grinned at her touch, his hands stilling. “Uh, love, I hate to complain, but this isn’t helping matters.”

Emma smiled and came around to stand in front of him, as she reached up to do his tie. “How is it that you were able to do a tie every time you went over my parents during the ruse?”

He shrugged. “I got Martha to do it.”

Emma laughed and then yanked his tie so that his lips lowered to hers in a kiss. The kiss quickly grew heated and Killian had to force himself to part from her.

“We’re going to be late again,” he breathed, his tongue running across his lower lip, still tasting her.

Emma brought her lips to his neck and began sucking. “I think my parents have come to expect that from us. We wouldn’t want to disappoint them.”

Killian closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of her, as he trailed his hands down her back. He shook his head and sucked in a breath, taking a step back from her.

“You are so bloody hard to resist,” he whispered.

She smiled, her eyes darkening with desire for him. “Then don’t.”

But he knew something she didn’t. Tonight was going to be a night to remember and they needed to be on time.

“Love, as much as I would like nothing more than to spend the entire evening doing this…and so much more…with you, we can’t be late.”

Emma eyed him suspiciously. “And why not?”

He swallowed hard. “Because it’s quite rude.”

Emma arched an eyebrow. “Since when are you concerned about being late to my parents? You are usually the one distracting me and causing our tardiness. Is something going on?”

Killian shook his head, but didn’t meet her eyes. “Of course not. Just trying to be respectful to your parents. I wouldn’t want them to dislike me after I worked so hard to win them over.”

Emma brought her hand up to cup his cheek. “Who could ever dislike you?”

Killian laughed heartily. “I seem to remember that you weren’t too fond of me when we first met.”

Emma tilted her head. “You were trying to steal from me.”

“Aye, that I was,” he said with a nod. “But you tore up the information sheet that I had written about myself. I figured you had no interest in ever knowing the true me.”

Emma chewed on her lower lip. “Yeah, sorry about that. I think I was just trying to protect myself. Killian, I think the moment I saw you I knew you could change my life and that scared me. So, I figured if I didn’t learn about the real you then maybe that wouldn’t happen.”

He smiled. “It happened anyway.”

She nodded. “Yes, it did. I couldn’t resist you. Still can’t.” She paused and then added, “I have a confession to make.”

His eyebrows raised in surprise. “What is it, love?”

Emma moved to her nightstand and pulled out a piece of paper. She walked back over and handed it to him.

His eyes widened in disbelief. It was the information sheet he had given her that she had torn up without ever looking at. It had been painstakingly taped back together.

“You kept this?” he asked.

She nodded. “I did.”

He gestured at it with his free hand. “And you taped it back together?”

“I did.”

His eyes scanned her face. “Why?”

She smiled gently at him. “After you left that day, I was ready to throw the pieces into the garbage, but then I thought about how wrong that was. To take a man’s life, to take parts of him, and just throw them away like they didn’t matter. So I put the pieces in a plastic bag instead, took it home, and placed it in the drawer.”

“When did you put it back together?”

“After the shower when you told me about your family and Milah. I had this burning desire to know more about you.”

He smiled, shaking his head at the paper. “This must have taken you hours.”

Emma nodded. “It did, but I’m glad I did it. It helped me see who you really are.”

His eyes narrowed for a moment. “Wait a minute. So when I took you sailing and for that pizza picnic in the park, you knew that was my idea of a perfect day?”

Emma bit at her lip worriedly. “I did. Are you mad?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “How could I be? I think that day was a turning point for us. It was the first time we spent time together, just two of us, no pretending. I think I knew deep down that I was in big trouble.”

Emma smiled. “I know I did. I kept denying it, but I knew I was falling for you. To be honest, I’m pretty sure I’d already fallen and hard. I just couldn’t admit it to myself yet.”

Killian placed the paper on the bureau and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You know, love, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Killian Jones has a lot of layers. I’m like an onion.”

Emma laughed, as he placed a kiss to her forehead. “Thankfully, you smell so much better than an onion.”

He bobbed his head, “Aye, however, like an onion, I tend to make you cry.”

Emma chuckled. “You do have a tendency to do that.”

He brought his hand up to cup her cheek. “I will make it my duty to only produce happy tears in you from now on, Emma. How does that sound?”

Emma lifted her lips to his and said, “I like the sound of that.”

He pulled back and gestured to his tie. “I do believe you were going to assist me with this.”

Emma smiled as she tied it for him. She then slipped her hand in his. 

“Let’s go.”

…

~I hope it’s my job to protect your heart.~

 

Mary Margaret opened the door and enveloped them in hugs, just as she always did. David appeared, kissed Emma’s cheek and shook Killian’s hand.

Mary Margaret stepped back and shook her head at them. “I swear you two are just sweetest couple I’ve ever seen.”

Emma placed her head on Killian’s shoulder and smiled. “Thanks, Mom.”

David hooked his thumb in the direction of the dining room. “Well, as usual, you two are late, so dinner is already ready.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “We were five minutes late, Dad.”

“You know what they say,” he began. “Punctuality is the politeness of kings.”

Mary Margaret swatted his arm. “Oh, leave them alone, David. They’re in love.”

Emma smiled up at Killian, as he offered her parents a grin and said, “They also say punctuality is the virtue of the bored.”

Emma chuckled softly, her eyes focused on his. “And we are certainly not bored.”

David rolled his eyes. “Give it 35 years,” he muttered.

Mary Margaret gasped and slapped his arm. “David!”

He laughed and put his arm around his wife’s shoulders, placing a kiss to her temple. “I was joking, dear. I could never grow bored of you.”

Killian smiled at them and then looked down at Emma. “If we’re half as in love as you two are in 35 years, then I will consider us very lucky.”

Emma raised a brow at him. “35 years, huh? That’s a long time.”

“Not long enough,” he said, as he placed a kiss to her lips.

Emma breathed a sigh of contentment, as they all took their seats at the dinner table.

As the appetizer was served, Mary Margaret looked at Killian. “How are your classes going?”

He nodded. “Fantastic. I’ll be finished soon. I’d like to start college classes in the fall.”

“Any thoughts about what you’d like to study?” David asked.

“Aye. I’ve been thinking about it and I’ve always had an interest in literature, so I thought that might be a good choice,” he said.

Emma bobbed her head. “As the owner of a bookstore, I think that’s a great choice.”

The meal continued and soon it was time for the entrée. 

Mary Margaret smiled at Killian. “I have a surprise for you, Killian. I had the staff prepare your favorite, lamb.”

Emma’s eyes widened as she realized she had neglected to tell her parents that Killian was really a vegetarian.

He swallowed hard, as he glanced at Emma. “Mrs. Nolan. Thank you so much. I am sure-…”

Emma placed her hand over his and shook her head. “No, Killian, no more lying.”

Mary Margaret’s eyebrows raised. “Did you not like the way the lamb was prepared last time?”

Emma shook her head. “It’s not that, Mom. Killian is a vegetarian.”

David and Mary Margaret’s eyes widened. “A vegetarian?” David repeated.

Emma nodded. “Yes, I didn’t know the first time I introduced you and so Killian pretended to get sick so he wouldn’t have to eat the lamb. And, come to think of it, every time we’ve been over since the truth came out you haven’t served meat so it just slipped my mind.”

Mary Margaret shook her head and laughed. “Oh, well, good. I actually can’t stand lamb!”

“Neither can I!” David said.

All four erupted in laughter. 

When the laughter subsided, David gestured to the meal before them. “Well, what do you say to pizza for dinner instead?” 

“Pizza!” Mary Margaret said. “I haven’t had pizza in ages. That sounds delicious.”

Emma shook her head. “But the staff went to all of this trouble. We shouldn’t waste the lamb.”

Mary Margaret waved her hand in dismissal. “Don’t worry, dear. The staff loves lamb. They’ll enjoy eating it all.”

“Pizza it is then,” David said, as he stood up and disappeared for a few moments.

“All set. Pizza should be here in 25 minutes.”

They set about eating the rest of the meal and laughing at Killian’s previous attempts to conceal he was a vegetarian. Soon, the doorbell rang and Greta went to answer it. She came back in and placed two small pizza boxes on the table. 

Killian stood and opened the top box. Emma’s eyes widened at what she saw. Inside the box, was a heart-shaped pizza. Spelled out in pineapple and broccoli was ‘Emma, will you marry me?’

“Killian,” she breathed, not realizing he had dropped to his knee in front of her and was now holding a velvet ring box up. 

He took her hands in his. “Emma, the day I walked into your life was the best day of mine. You turned my world upside down and I am so grateful you did. I cannot imagine my life without you. You believe in me and see the good in me. I will make it my mission to spend the rest of my days making you happy. I love you with all of my heart. Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?” He paused and then added with a lopsided grin, “For real this time.”

She vaguely heard her mother gasp behind her. 

Emma felt tears begin to stream down her cheeks, as she furiously nodded her head. “Yes, Killian, I will marry you. Nothing would make me happier.”

Killian released a breath he didn’t even realize he’d been holding, as she cupped his face and kissed him. When they parted, he opened the box and she sucked in a breath at the sight of the ring, a simple one carat princess cut diamond.

He swallowed hard. “I know it’s not much, but it’s all I could afford at the moment. But I am saving to buy you a nicer one and-…”

She cut him off with a firm shake of her head. “Don’t you dare. It’s perfect.”

A smile spread across his lips, as he removed the ring. Emma held out her hand and he slipped the ring onto her finger. She and Killian had both taken to wearing their rings from their faux wedding on chains around their necks as a remembrance of what brought them together, but this new ring was a symbol of their love and was not tainted by any lies.

Killian stood then and pulled her into his arms .

“I love you,” she whispered into his ear.

“I love you, Emma,” he replied back.

They were interrupted by the sound of clapping and separated to find her parents smiling from ear-to-ear. Mary Margaret embraced them, as David extended his hand to Killian.

“Welcome to the family, Killian,” he said. “For real this time.”

Killian smiled. “I am proud to be a part of your family.” He paused and then added softly. “It’s nice to have one again.”

Emma looked up at him. “You’re never going to be alone again.”

He placed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m holding you to that.”

Emma’s brow suddenly furrowed and she looked from Killian to her parents. “Wait a minute. Were you all in on this together?”

Mary Margaret smiled devilishly. “Guilty.”

Emma’s mouth dropped open as she looked at her new fiancé. “You planned all of this and got my parents to help?”

Killian nodded. “Aye, love, that I did.”

“So the whole lamb for dinner thing?”

Mary Margaret laughed. “Killian told us weeks ago he was a vegetarian, which is why we haven’t served meat for dinner since.”

“Weeks ago?”

David bobbed his head. “Yes, when he came to ask for your hand in marriage.”

Emma looked up at Killian. “That must have been right after we got back together.”

Killian grinned. “That it was. I knew I was never going to let you go again and I couldn’t wait to make it official. I wanted you to be my bride, for real this time.”

Emma arched an eyebrow, but smiled. “So you got my parents to lie for you?”

David chuckled. “Payback, sweetheart.”

Emma laughed and slipped her hand in Killian’s. “I guess I can forgive you all.”

Mary Margaret smiled and clapped her hands together. “Good, because we have another wedding to plan. And this one is the real deal this time.”

Emma smiled up at her fiancé. “Yes, it is.”

“So that means I can go all out, right? Invite as many people as I want?”

Emma nodded with a smile. “Knock yourself out, Mom.”

Killian’s eyes swept across Emma’s face. “I don’t care about anything except making this incredible woman my wife. We could get married in the bar for all I care.”

Mary Margaret gasped in horror. “That is not happening.”

All four laughed. Emma glanced down at the pizza covered in pineapple and broccoli. 

She wrinkled her nose at Killian. “I hate to complain because this was the sweetest thing ever, but I hate broccoli and how it makes everything taste like it. So-…”

He cut her off by lifting the top of the second box. This one was evenly split down the middle: broccoli on one side, pineapple on the other.

She smiled up at him. “You know me so well.”

He laughed and kissed her. 

…

~I have no intention of letting you down.~

 

Later that night, Emma and Killian were lying in bed after making love. Emma’s head was resting on his chest, their hands linked. Killian brought her hand up and kissed her ring finger.

She smiled and shook her head. “I can’t believe we’re really engaged. It doesn’t seem real,” she said, looking up at him.

“Oh, it’s real, love,” he said, his fingertips skimming across the soft skin of her bare back. 

Emma blinked back tears. “I know. I guess I’m just having a hard time believing it. There were times when we were apart that I just felt so hopeless. I felt like I would never have my parents back and never get to be with you again. And now I have everything I could ever want. I’m so happy. It just feels too good to be true. It’s like I’m afraid it will all end.”

Killian brought his hand up to her chin. “Hey, I understand why you feel that way after I broke your heart twice. And I can’t promise that things will always be smooth sailing. Things happen in life that we have no control over. But I can promise you this, Emma. Whatever comes our way, we’ll deal it with it together.”

Emma smiled and pressed a kiss to his lips. 

Killian licked at his lips nervously, his voice emerging softly, “Are you, um, happy with the proposal, Emma?”

Emma’s eyes widened. “Happy? More like ecstatic. Why would you even question it?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I wanted to do something that had meaning to us and so I thought of that perfect day we spent together getting to know each other. And I came up with the pizza idea. But then I remembered the proposal you had dreamed up for fake Killian and Emma. The horse drawn carriage and the dozen red roses. I began to think you would prefer something more extravagant.”

Emma brought her hand up to stroke his cheek, her thumb resting on his chin. “I can’t think of a better proposal. That was perfect for us. Not fake Killian and Emma. But me and you, which is a thousand times better.”

Killian smiled, as he placed a kiss to her lips. “I haven’t a clue what I did to deserve you, but I’m sure glad I did it.”

“Same here,” Emma said, as she placed her head back on his chest. 

“I can’t wait to marry you, Emma,” he whispered, his hand stroking her hair.

Emma listened to the steady thump of his heart, knowing it beat for her. 

“Neither can I,” she said softly, a content smile upon her lips. 

…  
End of Part 12  
Thanks for reading. Next part is the last part. Please let me know what you thought! ~Steph


	13. Part 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last part. I really enjoyed writing this story. I just wanted to thank everyone who read, responded, and gave kudos to it. I really appreciate it! I have a new story coming out in a couple of days. You can find the summary for it at the end of this story. Hope you enjoy the last part! -Steph

…Accidentally in Love: Part 13/13...

 

~I never thought I’d be capable of letting go of my first love. To believe that I could find someone else. That is, until I met you.~

 

One year to the day they had pretended to marry, Emma and Killian would pledge their lives to each other for real this time.

Belle found herself standing outside the bathroom door again, knocking.

“Emma.”

Killian came to stand beside her. “This is déjà vu. Is she okay?”

Belle nodded. “I think so, she’s just taking forever to get ready.”

Killian knocked on the door. “Love, it’s me. Can I come in?”

Emma’s voice emerged panicked. “No!”

He sighed and turned the doorknob, surprised to find it unlocked. He opened the door and heard her shriek. Once inside, he closed the door behind him, his eyes scanning the large bathroom, but not finding her.

“Emma?”

“Over here,” she said.

Killian’s brow furrowed for a moment before he realized her voice was coming from behind the shower curtain. He came to stand in front of it.

“What are you doing?”

“You can’t see me in my dress before the wedding, Killian.”

He rolled his eyes. “Not this again.”

“Yes, this again. You saw me before our fake wedding and look at all the bad luck that followed. We almost lost each other.”

Killian sighed heavily. “Emma, this is ridiculous.”

“You said you would indulge me if this were for real and now it is. I don’t want to tempt fate.”

Killian swept the curtain aside, as her mouth dropped open. “Killian!”

He got into the bathtub with her. 

“What are you doing?” she asked.

He took her hands in his. “I need you to listen to me.”

“Okay,” she said softly.

He began, his voice tightening with emotion. “We don’t need luck, Emma. And fate is on our side. Fate is the reason I walked into your store when you needed me to. Fate is the reason we are together and nothing is going to change that.”

Emma took a deep breath. “Okay, you’re right.”

His eyes scanned her, his lips curling into a smile at the beautiful sight she presented. His brow furrowed though when he recognized the dress.

“Wait, is this the same dress?”

Emma nodded with a smile. “Yes, it was the one. I knew it then and I wanted to marry you for real in it this time.”

Killian laughed softly. 

“What?’ she asked.

“Don’t you see, love? You were hiding from me for no reason. I’ve already seen you in this dress.”

Emma shrugged, with a chuckle. “Oh, that’s true. But it’s for real this time, so the first time didn’t count.”

He bobbed his head. “Okay.” He paused and then asked. “Are you ready to become Mrs. Jones?”

Emma shook her head. “No.”

Killian’s eyes widened and his heart froze in his chest for a moment. “What?”

She smiled. “I’m ready to become Mrs. Swan-Jones.”

Killian breathed a sigh of relief and then kissed her forehead. “I can hardly wait.”

She gave him a gentle shove. “Well, if you don’t leave me alone so I can finish getting ready, then I may never become Mrs. Swan-Jones.”

Killian jumped out of the shower and offered her one last smile. “Remember, to find my eyes when you get out there.”

Emma smiled and nodded, but knew she wouldn’t need him to get her through this time. He turned on his heel and left.

Fifteen minutes later, Emma emerged from the bathroom.

Belle smiled at her. “Are you ready?”

“Never been more ready in my life,” she said.

She followed Belle outside and stopped at the end of the aisle. Emma admired her mother’s handiwork. It was very similar to the first wedding, just taken up a few notches. More people, more flowers, more lights. 

But none of it mattered. The only thing that mattered was the amazing man standing at the end of the aisle, unable to take his eyes off of her. As Emma met his gaze, she realized that this time her hands holding her bouquet were steady and her legs felt firm. 

Her father appeared by her side and she looped her arm through his. He smiled at her. “You look even more beautiful than the first time. I’m pretty lucky. I get to have this moment with you twice.”

Emma smiled and kissed his cheek. “I’m the lucky one.”

The music started and Emma and David began walking down the aisle. Killian sucked in a breath as he watched her come toward him. He couldn’t believe how beautiful she looked. He couldn’t believe that this incredible woman was about to become his wife. 

She finally made her way to him and David placed her hands in his, as he kissed her forehead and joined his wife.

Emma smiled at him, tears suddenly popping into her eyes. 

A genuine Justice of the Peace began this time. “Today, we are here to join this man and this woman in marriage. It’s no secret that Killian and Emma have had a unique journey to this moment. ”

Emma and Killian exchanged a knowing look.

“Emma and Killian, you are about to begin your life together. You already know the ups and downs that love can bring and you have proven you can weather the storms together. Never forget that.”

Emma smiled at Killian. They never would.

“Emma and Killian have written their own vows. Killian, you may begin.”

Killian blinked back tears as he looked at Emma. “I’ve been alone most of my life. I had resigned myself to be alone forever. It was less painful that way. I never thought I would love again, Emma, and then I met you. And I couldn’t help falling in love with you. You made me want to be a better man and you never stop believing in me. I know that marriage won’t be easy. Nothing worth having ever is. I can’t wait to begin this journey with you and I know that whatever comes our way, we’ll deal with it together. I love you, Emma.”

Emma swallowed hard, as the Justice of the Peace looked at her. 

“Emma, you may begin.”

She squeezed his hands in hers. “Killian, before you, my heart was closed to love. It had been broken so badly that I decided it was better not to open it up ever again. And then you came along and, try as I might, you found your way into my heart. You made me see how wonderful love can be when it’s with the right person. You helped me see I could trust a man again. Trust you. And you supported me in the craziest thing I’ve ever done. You put me first, Killian. You sacrificed your own happiness so that I wouldn’t lose my family. I know you’ve been alone for a long time, but you’re not alone anymore and you never will be again. We’re in this together. I love you, Killian.”

Killian felt a tear fall down his cheek, as the Justice of the Peace went on. 

“Do you, Killian, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

Killian looked into Emma’s eyes and said, “I do.”

“Place the ring upon her finger and repeat after me: With this ring, I thee wed, and forever pledge my devotion.”

Killian took the ring from Robin and slipped it on Emma’s finger. “With this ring, I thee wed, and forever pledge my devotion.”

The Justice of the Peace looked at Emma. “Do you, Emma, take this man, Killian, to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Emma nodded her head and smiled. “I do.”

“Place the ring upon his finger and repeat after me: With this ring, I thee wed, and forever pledge my devotion.”

Emma took the ring from Belle and placed it on Killian’s finger. “With this ring, I thee wed, and forever pledge my devotion.”

Emma and Killian felt their hearts swell as they knew this time it was for real. Those rings were a symbol of their never-ending love. 

Emma and Killian joined hands again. 

“By the power invested in me by the state of Maine, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” He turned to Killian. “You may kiss the bride.”

Killian didn’t hesitate this time. He cupped his new wife’s face and pressed his lips to hers. Emma ran her hands across the back of his head, deepening the kiss. When they parted, their foreheads remained touching. 

They did it. They were husband and wife.

Their guests erupted in applause as they made their way to the end of the aisle hand-in-hand.

Killian turned to Emma with a grin. “Hello, wife.”

“Hello, husband,” she said with a giggle.

…

~I think you can see a future here, a happy one.~

 

Killian held out his hand to his new wife, as the first bars of “At Last” began to play. Emma placed her head on his shoulder as they began to sway to the music. 

It was hard to believe they were husband and wife. No pretending this time.

Emma looked up at her husband and smiled, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“Hey,” he said. “Why are you crying?”

“I’m just thinking about happy I am and how this doesn’t feel real. It feels too good to be true.”

He shook his head. “It’s not. A year ago today, I stood right here, holding you in my arms and knowing that in a few hours I would have to give you up.” He paused and then added with a smile. “But now you’re all mine.”

Emma felt her tears begin to spill down her cheeks and she wiped at them roughly with her fingertips. “You know, I hardly ever cried before you, Killian Jones.”

He laughed and brought his thumb and forefinger to her chin, lifting her head so their eyes met. “Happy tears, right?”

She nodded and said, “The happiest,” before placing a kiss to his lips.

When the song ended, they took their seats and soon their meals were served. Before they could begin to eat, Mary Margaret stood and got everyone’s attention.

“I’d like to make a toast to my beautiful daughter and her new husband. We are so happy you found each other and that you make each other so happy. Killian, my husband and I are so proud to have you join our family and we can’t wait to watch the love between you two grow everyday as you build your life together.”

Emma smiled and leaned forward to kiss her groom. Killian linked their fingers and brought her hand up to place a soft kiss on her knuckles.

“Ugh,” Belle said, as she downed her champagne.

Emma and Killian turned their attention to her.

“Something wrong?” Emma asked.

She waved her hand at them. “It’s you guys. I mean, I am incredibly happy for you, but you are so in love, it’s starting to get annoying.”

They laughed, as Emma smiled. “I think you just need to find someone of your own.”

Killian gestured to Robin. “How about Robin?”

Belle’s eyes widened. “He’s a thief. No offense.”

Emma looked up lovingly at Killian. “Sometimes you have to look past the initial impression to see the person below. I’m so glad I did.”

Belle squinted over at Robin, watching as he slipped some silverware into his jacket pocket. 

She gave Emma and Killian a pointed look. “Not everyone can get as lucky as you two.”

Killian squeezed Emma’s hand. “Maybe he just needs a reason to change, someone to see the good in him.”

“Go over there,” Emma prodded.

With a groan, Belle slowly walked over to Robin. She pointed at his pocket and he shook his head. Belle reached in and pulled the silverware out. He smiled and laughed, waving his hands in dismissal. Belle put the silverware on the table and held her hand out to him, in a silent request to dance. He accepted, pulling her into his arms.

Emma smiled at Killian. “Maybe Belle’s on her way to finding love, too.”

Killian kissed his wife’s forehead. “If she makes him even half as happy as you make me, then he’ll be one lucky guy.”

Emma and Killian’s attention was suddenly turned back to Belle and Robin, as they watched her slap him across the face and stalk off the dance floor. Robin watched her go, as he brought his hand up to his cheek and smiled.

Emma laughed. “I think they may need a little help getting there though.”

Killian shrugged. “If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that if it’s truly meant to be, then it will be.”

Just then, Emma’s mother appeared in front of them. 

“I think this wedding is even better than the first,” she said.

Emma nodded. “Without a doubt. Thank you, Mom, for everything.”

Mary Margaret leaned forward and hugged both of them. “Just be happy, that’s thanks enough for me.

Soon, it was time to cut the cake. Killian threw a warning look at Emma as they made their way over. “Love, you better be on your best behavior this time.”

“You too,” she said.

Emma and Killian sliced the cake and they each picked up a piece. Emma carefully placed the cake in Killian’s mouth, pausing to swipe at his lip to remove some frosting. Killian smiled at her devilishly and made a move as if he were going to smash it into her face. Emma shook her head at him and he gently placed it in her mouth. He then snaked his arms around his wife’s waist and placed a kiss to her lips. Emma sighed into the kiss and then they slowly parted.

Not long after, the wedding slowly came to a conclusion and soon only Emma, Killian, and her parents remained. Emma kicked off her heels and sat down on her husband’s lap at one of the tables, encircling his neck with her arms.

“Today was the best day of my life,” she said, looking down at him.

“Mine too,” he replied, placing a kiss to her neck. 

His lips began to trail down her neck and across her shoulder. Emma closed her eyes, a low moan escaping.

They were interrupted by the clearing of throats behind them. Killian pulled his mouth away from his wife’s skin and her eyes flew open.

“Sorry to interrupt,” David said in embarrassment, as he and Mary Margaret came to stand in front of them.

“We just wanted to give you your wedding gift,” Mary Margaret said.

Emma shook her head. “You’ve given us enough. This wedding was amazing.”

“Yes, but there’s something else that you deserve,” her mother said. 

Emma looked at her father, who was holding a large wrapped box. He placed it down on the table. 

“Open it,” he said.

Emma stood up, sighing in defeat, as she ripped open the package. She pulled the top off the box, her brow lifting in surprise when Dot jumped up and began licking her.

She turned to her parents. “You’re giving us Dot?”

Killian bobbed his head. “Uh…thank you.”

Mary Margaret stepped forward and took Emma’s hands in hers. “Whoever owns Dot controls the money from the trust fund she received.”

Understanding dawned on them both. Emma shook her head. “I can’t take her, Mom. Not after what I did to get the money. I don’t deserve it.”

David nodded. “Yes, you do, Emma. Dot is a dog. She needs to be fed and groomed and likes fancy collars. She doesn’t need almost 5 million dollars. But you and Killian can put that money to good use.”

Killian shook his head in astonishment. “I don’t know what to say.”

Mary Margaret smiled. “Your father and I have been discussing it and we thought of a good idea for how to use some of the money. You both love to read and that love started at an early age. I know reading helped you both get through difficult times as children. I think it can do that for children today too if they’re given the chance. So I was thinking you could use a portion of the money to start a literacy program for underprivileged children. Emma, you could use the bookstore to promote the program.” Mary Margaret paused, her voice softening, “Of course, it’s just an idea. It’s entirely up to you two what you want to do with-…”

Emma felt a smile curl her lips, as she cut her mother off. “It’s an incredible idea.” Emma nodded, as she hugged her parents. “Okay, we accept. Thank you so much.” 

“Thank you,” Killian said, offering them a grateful smile. 

Mary Margaret pointed inside the box. “There’s one more thing.”

“Mom, this is too much already.”

David held up his hands. “This was all Dot’s doing. It’s from her.”

Emma reached inside the box and pulled out an envelope. She tore it open, as Killian looked over her shoulder. Inside, were two tickets to Paris with reservations to a 5 star hotel. Their mouths stood agape.

“For your honeymoon,” Mary Margaret said.

Emma shook her head. “We can’t accept this. It’s too much.”

“Emma is right,” Killian said. “This is extremely generous, but we couldn’t possibly accept it.”

“I told you,” David said with a shrug. “Talk to Dot.”

Mary Margaret smiled. “Dot wanted to use some of her considerable wealth to buy you a honeymoon to Paris. She is a very generous dog.”

Emma looked up at Killian and then sighed in defeat. “Alright, thank you. Thank you both…and Dot…so much.”

“You’re welcome,” David said. “Now, it’s very late and I know you two would like to get started on that wedding night so your mother and I have arranged to stay the night at a hotel. You have the whole place to yourself.”

Emma smiled. “You guys didn’t have to do that.”

Mary Margaret slipped her hand into David’s. “Hey, after 35 years of marriage, it’s nice for us to change things up every once in a while. This wasn’t just for you.”

Killian nodded his head in appreciation. “Thank you.” He then extended his hand to his new wife. “Shall we?” 

Emma smiled and placed her hand in his. They began to leave the dance floor, when David called after them.

“Wait, you forgot something.”

He walked over and handed Killian Dot.

Killian’s eyes widened. “Oh, um, thank you.”

Mary Margaret pointed at Dot. “She likes to sleep on the bed. If you put her outside the bedroom, she’ll bark and bark all night long.”

Emma suppressed a groan. “Perfect.” 

They made their way inside. She, Killian, and Dot went up the stairs to Emma’s childhood bedroom. Once inside, they placed Dot on the couch and then came to stand in front of each other.

Killian smiled, gesturing with his hand. “I never imagined our wedding night would be with you, me, Justin Timberlake, and a Chihuahua.” 

Emma laughed, as she closed the distance between them, placing a kiss on his lips. She pulled back and met his eyes.

“A year ago, that night ended very differently for us,” she said.

Killian brought his hand up to Emma’s cheek. “Tonight, we start fresh and make new, happy memories. We leave the past behind and begin our lives together. Our future is going to be amazing, Emma.”

Emma smiled, as Killian scooped his wife up in his arms. She laughed and looped her arms around his neck. He moved to the bed and gently laid his bride down on the comforter. Hovering above her, his eyes met hers. 

“I love you, Emma Swan-Jones.”

“And I love you, Killian Jones.”

He brought his lips down to hers, before trailing his mouth down her neck. She closed her eyes, as she ran her nails down his back and let out a moan of pleasure.

She felt something wet and rough tickle her right ear and she giggled. “Killian, stop!”

“What?” he muttered against her chest.

“That tickles!” she said.

Killian looked up and then had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Emma’s eyes were squeezed shut, her head thrown back, while Dot licked at her ear. Slowly, Emma opened her eyes and came face to face with the dog.

“Ew!” she said, quickly sitting up and roughly wiping at her ear with her palm. 

Killian burst out laughing. She threw him a glare, before dissolving into a fit of giggles herself. Then she launched herself at her husband. He landed on his back and she straddled his hips. She slowly lowered her face to his, stopping mere inches from his lips.

“I think Dot is going to be very traumatized by what she’s going to witness tonight.”

Killian shrugged. “That’s okay, love. She can afford a good therapist.”

Emma laughed, as Killian cupped her face and closed the distance between them.

…

~True love isn't easy but it must be fought for because once you find it, it can never be replaced.~

 

Four days later, Emma and Killian strolled hand-in-hand through the streets of Paris on a beautiful night. They had spent the first two days of their honeymoon locked in their hotel room and wrapped up in each other. By day three, they figured they should venture outside and explore this incredible city. 

They walked along the Seine River, stopping to view the Pont des Art bridge where people from all over the world came to put locks and throw keys into the river. Due to safety concerns about the effect of the locks on the bridge, the locks were now being removed. Barriers were up blocking tourists from putting up anymore locks.

Emma frowned. “Oh, I really wanted to see that. I was hoping we could put our own lock on there.”

Killian smiled and pulled a lock out of his pocket. “I had the same idea, love.”

“Great minds think alike, but we can’t do it now,” she said gesturing at the wooden barriers.

“Mrs. Swan-Jones, I have never known you to shy away from a challenge.”

Emma arched an eyebrow at him. “Even if we could get past the barrier, the lock won’t be up long. They’re taking them all down.”

“It’s more about the symbol of the gesture.”

Emma nodded. “Yeah, and I think I kind of like the idea of our love surviving anything that tried to destroy it.”

“I like the way you think,” he said, as he held his hand out. 

Normally, the bridge would have been crowded with tourists, but due to the bridge’s barriers, they found themselves all alone. Killian slipped past the barrier and then moved to the railing, followed by Emma. A piece of plywood was covering the entire railing. Emma watched as he pulled the lock out and unlocked it with the key. She smiled as she noticed he had written their names and wedding date on it in sharpie, enclosing it with a heart. 

He knelt down and pried the wood up a little. 

“Hold the corner, love,” he instructed her. 

Emma did as he asked and held the wood. He stuck his arm under it and managed to clip it onto the railing. Killian straightened and Emma let go of the wood. He held the key up to her.

“Would you like to do the honors?” he asked.

She smiled, taking the key from her husband, as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Emma lifted her arm and hurled the key into the river.

“Quite an impressive arm you have,” he said.

“Played softball in college. I was a pitcher,” she said, as she placed her head on his shoulder.

“I love learning new things about you,” he said, placing a kiss to her temple.

Emma smiled as she met his eyes. “We have a lifetime to learn everything there is to know about each other.”

He grinned and lowered his lips to hers. “That we do.”

They kissed beneath the stars of Paris, the river sparkling in front of them. Unlike the locks on the bridge, they knew their love would stand the test of time.

……………………………......................................................…...........The End………...................................................................……………………….......................  
Thanks again for your support with this story. Please let me know what you thought! Below is the summary for my new story out in a couple of days. I’ve already finished it at 5 parts, but I may add more to it. This one is not AU. It takes place with the Emma and Killian we all know and love, but is set in the future.

Coming soon: Operation: Parent Trap - Set 14 years in the future, Emma and Killian have been married 12 years, but are on the brink of divorce. Determined to reunite their parents, their 10 year old twins devise a plan to have them relive important moments in their love story.


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